The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha today came down heavily on the BJP-led Government in the State and claimed that the Centre has returned the land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2013 passed in the Assembly for reconsideration on the basis of the objections raised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmer’s Development. Talking to the media persons here on Thursday, party’s acting president and leader of Opposition Hemant Soren also demanded dismissal of Chief Minister Raghubar Das for his alleged involvement with land mafia and indecent behaviour in the Assembly.
“It proves that our demand of taking the bill back was justified and now Raghubar Das has not right to remain on the post of Chief Minister. We have information that the Home Ministry has returned the Bill for reconsideration following objections raised by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmer’s Development,”said Soren releasing a letter. He also alleged that the government has been trying to make changes in the existing land laws to forcefully acquire the land of poor and innocent tribals in this State.
Soren further claimed that the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmer’s Development has suggested Ministry of Home Affairs not to give approval for the land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2013 passed in the Jharkhand Assembly, saying that it may further upscale the diversion of agricultural land to non agricultural purposes.
“It is clearly stated in the letter sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs that the amendment bill is against the National Policy of Farmers 2007 and National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 2007. The letter further stated that the policy of the Government of India suggests that agricultural land will not be acquired for non-agricultural purposes and any project will be set up only on the barren land,” he said.
Further alleging the Chief Minister of being involved in the land scam in connivance with the land mafias, where hundreds of acres of land were given to the corporate companies at throw away prices, Soren demanded an inquiry from an independent agency.
“Chief Minister Raghubar Das has made the State a business organization where only brokerage of land is being done. Therefore, I request the Centre and the Governor as well to dismiss the Chief Minister immediately for the anti-people works being done in the State,” said the leader of Opposition.
Soren said that first the State Government tried to snatch the tribal land to the corporate houses by making changes in the CNT and SPT Act, and when they did not succeed in their intentions after the JMM opposed it in and outside the House, they are now trying to make changes in land Acquisition Act 2013 on the basis of majority enjoyed by it.
It is really a matter of investigation that under whose pressure the State Government has been making unsuccessful attempts to make changes in the land acquisition act going against the interest of the adiwasi moolwasi population in the State.