The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), one of the outfits of the Sangh Parivar, on Thursday came out openly to oppose the land Acquisition Bill that the Modi Government is trying hard to push through the Parliament. According to the BKS, there is no need to allot more land to industry as there is adequate land in the country.
In a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BKS Gujarat unit president Maganbhai Patel said instead of turning to the farmers, the Government should create a bank of Government wastelands for the industry.
Patel, who is believed to be close to Modi, further said farmers’ consent must be taken. He said that in context to the consent clause of the land Acquisition Bill.
It is worth mentioning that the consent clause has become the bone of contention in the proposed Bill.
Suggesting having a land Utility Bill and not the land Acquisition Bill, Patel said in case of non-use of a farmer’s land, the land must be returned to the farmer without any interest at the original cost. He claimed that around 70 per cent of the land allotted to industries has not been used yet. “The Government should seriously think to use it first,” he said, adding that farmers’ issues have not been addressed comprehensively.
