Don’t charge poor, farmers regularization charges: Pankaj Gupta

NAGPUR: National secretary of Aam Aadmi Party Pankaj Gupta has pressed for regularization of unauthorized constructions of poor and farmers without any charges. He said AAP-led Delhi government had proposed to regularize 1,000 unauthorized colonies at zero regularization charges.
He was speaking at the Jai Jawan Jai Kisan organized convention of sarpanches to discuss encroachment on powers of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, and zilla parishads in metropolitan region area on Sunday.

Gupta added Delhi government also proposed to execute development works in 1,000 unauthorized colonies without recovering development charges from beneficiaries. “Houses are required for all human being. Urban poor and farmers had to construct unauthorized houses as the government failed to make available affordable housing. All these people will also not be able to pay high charges for regularization as they had constructed houses with their lifetime earnings,” he said.

Gupta also hinted that there is a conspiracy between the state government and Nagpur Metropolitan Region Authority (NMRDA) for handing over farmers’ land to industrialists. “Some 73% of nation’s wealth is with only 1% population. This will go on increasing due to centralized governance. All know that farmers cannot pay high charges. It is a modus operandi to levy high charges and take possession of the lands,” he said.

Prashant Pawar and Vijay Shinde of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan said NMRDA started regularization process even before commencement of works as per Metropolitan region’s development plan. “Actual village used to be very small with 30-40 houses. All villages have expanded manifold. Farmers constructed houses in expanded area, or in their agriculture farms. Now, government and NMRDA declared all houses outside gaothan as unauthorized. Farmers will be forced to pay charges of regularization, inspection, building plan, occupancy etc,” they said.

Alleging Rafale aircraft deal was an irregularity of Rs50,000 crore, former MP Brig Sudhir Sawant said two industrialists were running the government. “Reliance has been given 1,500 acre at Mihan under Rafale deal, but there is no protest from anyone. All this is happening due to lack of unity among us. People should realize their powers and put aside differences to stop all these activities,” he said.

Slamming the BJP government at the centre and state for demonetization, land acquisition, closure of schools etc, former MP Nana Patole said citizens are left with only one type of right, that is voting right. “All elected representatives and villagers should come together and not accept NMRDA’s any policies. We are witnessing so many incidents around us like Loya death case, notice to BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh etc. We have powers to end those who are trying to finish off democracy,” he said.

Advocate Neeraj Khandewale announced support of Vidarbha Rajya Aghadi to the fight against NMRDA. Other speakers like Babanrao Taywade, Vijay Jawandhia, Milind Pakhale, Shridhar Salve and Amitabh Pawde also condemned encroachment on the powers of local self governing bodies in metropolitan region area.