The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) expressed displeasure over the present form of the land Acquisition Bill 2013, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament recently.
The association is particularly not happy with the circle rates. Addressing a Press conference at Punjab Bhawan on Saturday, the National Chairman of BKU, Rakesh Tikait, said that there is no transparency in the new land bill.
Censuring the Centre, the farmer leader said that there is nothing specifically mentioned in the bill that calculates the accurate land prices.
Tikait said during the nationwide stir of farmers at Jantar Mantar in March, the Government had assured that the new land bill would be beneficial to farmers.
“We were assured that the same criterion would be applied in urban and rural lands for acquisition. Market rate compensation for rural lands would be there as well. Government’s criterion for acquiring land is confusing and is giving a free hand to the State Government. We will meet the President of India to request him not to approve this bill. If this bill is imposed, we will organise a nationwide agitation,” Tikait said.
The BKU leader further reiterated that farmers are not getting the right prices for their paddy crops.
“The Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared by the Government of India is a joke played on farmers. Farmers are getting `1,600 per quintal of rice against its production cost of `1,345. We want the Government to declare MSP at ` 2,400 after 50 per cent premium production,” General Secretary of BKU, Yudhveer Singh, said.