BENGALURU: Former PM and JDS president HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday lashed out at the State government for adopting the ordinance route to amend the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, Karnataka Agriculture Produce Marketing Act and Industrial Disputes Act and urged Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to withdraw them.“These amendments are retrograde, anti-farmer and anti-labour. In the best interest of farmers and labourers, the government must withdraw them immediately,” he told the media. He said he had written three letters to the CM in this regard.
Gowda said amendments to the Land Reforms Act are detrimental to the farm sector, and that farmers would lose their lands and become homeless as the government action would only help realtors. It would be a death knell for farmers and the government must realize its mistake and withdraw it, Gowda said.
On the amendment to the APMC Act, the JDS leader said it allows big businesses to buy and sell agriculture produce from the farmers directly, which bypasses the regulated marketing committees, while the amendment to the Industrial Disputes Act give owners of any firm the power to adopt a “hire and fire policy” and the government will not have any control over firms.
“We do not want to violate Covid-19 guidelines and that was why I kept quiet. But now, I decided to speak as the amendments would have an adverse impact on people of the State,” he said. “They should not do such an injustice to people only because they have majority. If the government fails to withdraw the acts, we will stage protests across the state,” he said, adding, that he himself would hit the streets. On August 1, he has called a meeting of his party leaders to discuss the future course of action.
Covid package
On the economic package announced by the state government to help people hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the former PM said, everyone knows how much of that money reached the people and how much was wasted. “The Congress has accused the government of Rs 2,000 crore misappropriation in purchase of medical equipment and we do not know if we should protest against it or not. Several instances in the past show that those involved in corruption have got more power, but that doesn’t mean we will keep quiet and tolerate the government’s indifferent attitude. It must realize its mistakes and take measures to fight the pandemic,” Gowda said.