Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday staged a day-and-night dharna in front of the State Assembly here protesting the Central Government’s land Acquisition Bill 2015. Party workers and leaders led by CPI(M) State secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik came in a procession starting from Master Canteen Square to the lower PMG to stage a dharna in front of the State Assembly demanding withdrawal of the bill.
Patnaik criticised the Central Government for bringing a ‘draconian’ bill to help the industrial houses and corporate moghuls of the country and abroad. The bill is anti-farmer and anti-democratic, so the Centre has to stop amending the land Acquisition Act 2013, he added. The leaders said the bill would undermine the power of the ‘Gram Sabha Sarkar’ by diluting the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
The party members expressed grave concern over the Centre’s move to pass the bill in the Parliament. The ordinance would not only dilute the authority of the Gram Sabha but also choke the public voice on mindless industrialisation, they added. Party leader Suresh Panigrahy said the 24-hour dharna would continue till morning of Wednesday.