BENGALURU: Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday demanded the Karnataka Government to repeal its ordinance amending the Land Reforms Act. Terming it a bigger scam than the mining one, Siddaramaiah accused the government of compromising on the welfare of poor farmers to aid real estate honchos and corporates to take over agricultural land.
“B S Yediyurappa is betraying farmers by repealing Sections 79A, which prescribes income limit to purchase farmland, 79B- which prohibits non-farmers from purchasing agricultural land, 79C-which imposes fine if fake affidavit is filed, and Sec 80 which prohibits the transfer of agricultural land to non-farmers,” Siddaramaiah said at a press conference. The Congress will protest against the move in the Assembly and outside, he added.
Siddaramaiah said the government’s justification that amendments have been made to attract investments were flimsy. He pointed out that Karnataka had always been at the top two ranks for investments during his chief ministership. “Chief Minister Yediyurappa’s amendment to the historical Land Reforms Act is an attempt to stifle Congress’ revolutionary policy which had aimed to empower the actual tiller of the land. The amendment will enable the rich, and not the farmer, to own land,” he said.
He added that more than 25 lakh tenants farmers and their families had benefited from the implementation of the Land Reforms Act, 1974. He demanded that the ordinance be repealed, warning that such moves will jeopardise food security of the nation. Reacting to Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said there was no question of repealing the ordinance. “The Congress had also earlier backed these amendments deeming them pro-development. It is surprising that Siddaramaiah is criticising it,” he said.
Death knell for farmers: Congress
Mysuru: Condemning the changes made to the existing Karnataka Land Reforms Act, KPCC spokesperson M Lakshman on Thursday burnt a copy of the gazette notification of the ordinance. “The amended Act will ease restrictions on buying agricultural land. It drops Sections 79A, 79B, and 79C of the Act that imposed stringent restrictions on ownership. This will sound the death knell for farmers,” he said. Congress leaders, who have been alleging corruption in the purchase of medical supplies to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, have now accused a relative of Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the Chief Minister’s political secretary of involvement in the scam. At a press conference here, Lakshman alleged that the CM B S Yediyurappa-led government is looting public money in the name of fighting Covid-19.
ASHA workers meet Siddaramaiah
ASHA workers, who have been protesting against the government and boycotting work, met Congress Legislative Party chief and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah on Thursday, seeking his support to their cause. A few days earlier, they had met Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar at his residence. In a letter, the ASHA workers urged Siddaramaiah to back their protest demanding regularised pay, safer work environment and safety kits while being deployed for Covid-19 duty.