Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Sep 26: The Parliament has passed three bills related to agriculture mooted by union government. However, farmers are agitating throughout the country against these bills. In the state of Punjab and Haryana the situation has gone out of control. Some farmers have even lost lives.

In Karnataka also farmers have taken to street in protest against the Agricultural Acts and the amendment to Land Reform Act of the state government. All the farmer organizations have decided to observe Bharat Bandh on September 28 in protest against this act.

Leader of opposition Siddaramaiah has vented his anger against the land reform act in a series of tweets. Siddaramaiah has accused that there are 13,814 cases pertaining to violation of Land Reform Act which involves 60,000 acres of land, in the courts of Karnataka. With the proposed amendment, all the cases will be quashed and the violation will become legal. This amendment is being implemented to protect the land grabbers."

Venting his anger against the union government, Siddaramaiah tweeted, "Farmer organizations have resorted to Bharat Bandh. In Punjab the farmers are holding Rail Roko agitation for three consecutive days. This amendment is brought to facilitate the entrepreneurs, MNCs and real estate traders to buy land easily by cheating the farmers. There is no well-being of the farmers in this act.

"Land Reform Act is the programme of Congress party. When Devaraj Urs was the chief minister, he had brought the Land Reform Act and made the person tilling the land as the owner. Now the BJP government is trying to make the landlords as the owner of the land belonging to farmers.

"The cancellation of columns 79a, b, c and 80 of the Land Reform Act of Karnataka of 1961 and doubling the ownership limit of land that is specified in column 63 is the last nail in the coffin of agricultural sector.

"All the sections that are amended were protecting small farmers and small land holders from getting exploited by the entrepreneurs and elite class. Because of the amendment of all these columns it has become very easy for the corporate and real estate people to easily grab the agricultural land. Farmers will be pushed out of agriculture through legislation.

"Nearly 13,814 cases which have violated the Land Reform Act involving a land area of 60,000 acres are in various courts of Karnataka. The proposed amendment will quash all those cases and make them legal. This amendment is brought to protect the land grabbers.

"Most of the cases out of 13,814 are related to Bengaluru and surrounding districts where the rate of land is equivalent to that of gold. The BJP government is hand in glove with the real estate mafia and has brought this amendment.

"Crores of rupees of scam is there behind the amendment of Land Reform Act. I will not explain what the ruling BJP will gain from the land grabbers who are going to get the ownerships of 60,000 acres of land.

"Government is saying that corruption has increased due to the Land Reform Act and it is easier for the government officials to take bribe. In which department there is no bribe? Are the offices of Tahsildar, police and sub registrar not taking bribes? What needs to be eradicated? Bribe or the law?

"If the officials have become corrupt, it simply means that the government has failed to control them or the government itself is involved with them. BJP government does not feel ashamed to defend this?

"What was the necessity to bring this amendment to the Land Reform Act in a hurry, when the whole country is reeling under the coronavirus pandemic? Has the government discussed this with the farmers or the opposition parties?

"The government is saying that due to this amendment of Land Reform Act, there will not be any issues for the agriculture sector. Is there any clause in the amendment that agricultural land cannot be used for non-agriculture purpose? Why it is not included? What is the ulterior motive behind this?

"Not only Congress but the members of the ruling party have to oppose the amendment for the Land Reform Act, if they have conscience. Our fight is not limited to the assembly but we will also get down on the roads and protest,” stated Siddaramaiah.