Opposing the proposed amendments in the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on land Holding Act 1972, leader of Opposition, Prem Kumar Dhumalon Wednesday said the instead of patronising the heritage of tea gardens, the Virbhadra Singh Government was conspiring to ruin the traditional business of Kangra district.
Raising questions on the intention of the State Government for passing a resolution in the last Cabinet meeting to allow selling of tea estates, Dhumal said it was apparent that the Government was planning to amend the land Holding Act to allow land sharks to seize over the tea estates.
Training guns on Virbhadra Singh for not supporting the tea occupation in the State, Dhumal said the Congress in its poll manifesto had promised for renaissance of the tea cultivation in the area but the Government did not make any effort for the revival of this sector in last 4 years and now it was bent upon crushing this heritage industry of tea cultivation in the State.
Dhumal said the HP Ceiling on land Holding Act, 1972 was enacted to protect the interest of the gullible people of the state, who otherwise could have fallen a victim to the land sharks. But the present Government instead of protecting this age old profession of the people in the valley had been trying to open a window for the land mafia to grab tea lands.
He said the proposed amendments would allow selling of the tea estates to people for other purposes and it would pose a great danger to this heritage occupation.
He said any amendment in the act would benefit the land mafia, builders but it will create a big dent to the social and cultural inheritance of the region.
Criticizing Congress Government for amending Section 118 of the revenue laws repeatedly, Dhumal said that the amendments in section 118 had benefited a handful of people only.
He said BJP would protest against any proposed move of the Government to bring amendments in HP Ceiling of land Holding Act and it will not allow the tea estates of the district to go in hands of people, who may destroy the heritage of the state just to make financial gains.