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Haryana’s land pooling a well-orchestrated conspiracy to loot farmers: AAP
AAPs Haryana unit leader Anurag Dhanda in a press conference alleged that Haryana’s land pooling policy was designed to benefit BJP leaders and their corporate allies
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government in Haryana for implementing land pooling policy, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday termed it a well-orchestrated conspiracy to loot farmers’ lands.
AAPs Haryana unit leader Anurag Dhanda in a press conference alleged that Haryana’s land pooling policy was designed to benefit BJP leaders and their corporate allies.
Dhanda said that under this policy, over 35,000 acres of agricultural land will be acquired from farmers. However, farmers owning less than 10 acres are completely excluded from any direct participation, he maintained. “The government has empowered middlemen to acquire land at undervalued circle rates from small farmers, which will then be handed over to private corporations at exorbitant prices,’’ Dhanda alleged.
The AAP leader said that farmers will have no ownership, share, or participation in the development projects built on their lands. No plots or developed sections will be allocated back to them. They will only be paid a one-time compensation at a circle rate, which is 3 to 4 times lower than the actual market value, Dhanda alleged.
He further pointed out that the 2013 land acquisition law mandated compensation at four times the market rate, but the Haryana government has twisted this by capping it at a maximum of three times the circle rate.
Dhanda said that farmers have no say in determining the price of their land and if any farmer quoted a higher rate than the set rate, the government’s committee has the authority to reject it.
“The policy completely ignores landless farm labourers, who depended on the very lands being acquired. There is no rehabilitation plan for them, despite their complete reliance on these agricultural ecosystems,’’ the AAP leader alleged.
Dhanda also questioned why the Congress party, despite being in opposition, remained completely silent. “Why Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Congress party are not raising their voice. Is the Congress also complicit in this loot?,’’ Dhanda asked.
