Gangtok: The BJP today flayed the Pawan
Kumar Chamling government alleging forceful acquisition of
land after repealing section 5-A of the Land Acquisition Act,
1884, which required a public hearing of the concerned
landowners.
"The state government has taken away the fundamental
rights of the people (Right to Property) as enshrined in the
Constitution and in violation of Article 371 (F) applicable to
Sikkim by repealing the relevant provision of the Land
Acquisition Act to deny the public an opportunity of hearing
to oppose forcible acquisition of their land," BJP leader
Padam Prasad Sharma told reporters here.
The state government should immediately stop the process
of arbitrary acquisition of public land and withdraw the
notification issued by the Land Revenue and Disaster
Management Secretary to do away with a mandatory public
hearing, he demanded.
The BJP leader warned that the Chamling government should
be prepared a face a similar agitation in Sikkim if it went
ahead with forceful acquisition of land from the people.
Sharma further said that his party will launch a
statewide agitation on the issue and, if need be, challenge
the notification with regard to acquisition of land in the
court.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, January 29, 2010, 00:52