New Delhi: Members in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday
condemned the "forcible" acquisition of land in Uttar Pradesh
and firing on protesting farmers prompting the government to
state that a comprehensive bill in this regard would be
brought in Parliament at the earliest.
BJP and SP members trooped into the well as soon as the
House convened and resorted to sloganeering on the alleged
firing on farmers in Aligarh and Mathura forcing Speaker Meira
Kumar to allow an impromptu discussion on the issue.
Members across party lines, barring BSP which runs the
government in Uttar Pradesh, criticised the policy of
acquiring land forcibly from farmers at throwaway prices for
building the Yamuna Expressway and a private township and
demanded action against officers who ordered the firing on the
protestors.
At the end of 55-minute discussion, Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee assured the House that a "comprehensive" bill
on land acquisition and rehabilitation was being considered by
a Group of Ministers headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar.
"We are considering to bring it (to Parliament) at the
earliest... we have to ensure that interests of our farmers
are not jeopardised. They play an important role in ensuring
food security," he said.
Mukherjee said Home Minister P Chidambaram was in touch
with the Uttar Pradesh government to ascertain facts about
Saturday`s firing incident.
"I have been told that talks were on till late evening
yesterday for an amicable solution and possibly it will be
done," he said adding that he would keep the House informed.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted to know
why a report of the firing incident was not filed by the state
police.
Former BJP President Rajnath Singh claimed that farmers
were coerced by state government officials into accepting an
agreement on land acquisition.
Farmers in the region have been agitating for the past few
weeks over acquisition of land for building the Noida-Agra
Yamuna Expressway and a township being developed by a private
infrastructure company.
He wanted a new law on land acquisition to be enacted by
the government. Singh also sought to know why the bill in this
regard was allowed to lapse in the previous Lok Sabha.
PTI
