leaders from the Congress, JVM, RJD and the left parties on Monday met at the residence of leader of Opposition and JMM executive president Hemant Soren and decided to go all out against the amendments approved in the land Acquisition Act, 2013 which allows raiyati lands to be taken for various Government purposes such as building roads, educational institutions, anaganwadi centres or healthcare centres.
A coordination committee in the leadership of Soren was also formed on the occasion to decide and execute their protest which would commence on June 19 with effigy burning across the State. Sit-in protest would take place at all block headquarters on June 21 followed by at district level on June 25. A grand protest would be organised on June 28 in front of the Raj Bhawan and on Hul Divas on June 30 ‘sankalp divas’ would be observed all over the State. last in the series would be 24-hour long Jharkhand bandh on July 5.
“We have serious doubts over the intentions of the Government. Has the Government not taken farm land for setting up HEC, Bokaro Steel Plant and several other projects and is now transferring it for private purposesIJ land is being taken after Momentum Jharkhand. The amendments have waived off social impact assessment which was mandatory before acquiring any land. They have some hidden agenda behind this and are misguiding people. We are going to expose them collectively,” Hemant Soren, flanked by PCC president Ajoy Kumar, JVM’s Bandhu Tirkey and leaders from social organisations, including Vasvi Kiro and Dayamani Barla said.
The JMM leader while accepting challenge thrown by the BJP for a public debate over the pros and cons of the Bill told the Government to bring out a White Paper presenting all the details of the land taken from raiyats and tribals since the formation of Jharkhand.
“Jharkhand is reeling under great hardship due to the amendments approved. We all are sensing the resentments reaching to us from nooks and corners of the State. All the parties in the Opposition and social organisations have decided to take the fight against this approach of the Government to a logical conclusion. Now, the Government under its arrogance is throwing challenge to the people of the State by the use of force and the time has come to respond to this with actual and equal force,” added Soren.
The PCC president terming the issue of national importance alleged the Government for transferring agricultural land to private parties and for hiding its real intentions through the amendments done.
A delegation of the Congress in the leadership of Ajoy Kumar later met Governor Droupadi Murmu to hand her a memorandum against the amendments done.