New land Act anti-farmer: Sukhu

Tribune News Service

Solan, March 25

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today termed the Land Acquisition Bill anti-farmer and said the Bill would only benefit the corporates.

Addressing a meeting of the Block Congress Committee at Nalagarh, Sukhu questioned the opportunistic stance of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had supported the Right to Fair Compensation Act, 2013, inside and outside Parliament nine months ago, but was now diluting the law within six months of coming to power even before it could be implemented.

Sukhu said, “The Congress-led UPA government had brought the Land Acquisition Act after a consensus among various political parties and holding discussions with all stakeholders, states and Parliament over two years, but the Act was set aside by Modi for mere crony capitalists.” He said the government would implement the pro-farmer Land Acquisition Act brought out by the UPA government.

He also accused the BJP government of backtracking on its poll promises of bringing black money in 100 days and eradicating corruption and unemployment and said, “The BJP government has failed to fulfil its poll promises on black money, corruption and unemployment and it seems that it is its plan to gain power through misleading statements on issues pertaining to the country.”

He said the UPA government had implemented “One Rank, One Pension” scheme for ex-servicemen and had made budgetary allocation for it but the Modi government had failed to set aside any budgetary provisions for it, exposing the difference between what they professed and practised.

He also complimented the state government for formulating policies and programmes for the overall development of the state and said the government was working for ensuring all round development of all areas of the state.

The meeting was attended by HPCC general secretary, Solan, in charge Harshwardhan Chauhan, former MLAs Lajja Ram, Lakhvinder Rana, HP INTUC president and chairman, Building and Other Construction Workers Board, Hardeep Singh Bawa, BCC Nalagarh president Aseem Sharma, social media incharge of DCC Solan Mukesh Sharma and others.