Opp holds sit-in to protest land amendments

Riding on the points it scored previously on CNT-SPT amendments and a few others, the Opposition is sounding confident that the Government would once again backtrack on the recent land amendment related move. Parties into the camp in the form of JMM, Congress, JVM, RJD and the Left parties are opposing the amendments made into the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 tooth and nail while organising a joint dharna in front of Raj Bhawan on Monday.

Addressing the sit-in protest, former Union Minister and Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay said that the provisions into the original Act had to be restored. “The State Government would have to take back the amendments done into the Land Acquisition Act. It would be forced to do so under pressure from the people of the State who are ready to descend on the streets like before. The Government is unsuccessfully trying to mislead the people but we would not allow their wishes to succeed,” said the Congress leader where former Minister KN Tripathi and tribal activist Karma Oraon were also present.  

JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya reiterated that the intentions of the Government were not in the interests of the State and its people. “The Government through the amendments can easily acquire land from tribal and farmers and they would have no right to even go to the court. The Government in the name of simplification into the Act has overtaken rights of the people,” he said.