Land ordinance: Farmers' body to lay siege to Parliament

Ghaziabad, Jan 15 (IANS) A farmers' body here Thursday announced that it would lay siege to parliament Feb 20 to protest the new Land Acquisition ordinance.

The Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangthan described the ordinance as a "kaala kanoon" (black law).

The body's spokesman Satya Pal Chaudhary said by promulgating the ordinance, the central government showed that it was working for the industrialists.

"Now, the farmers have no right to oppose the acquisition of their land. The government can acquire land without hearing their voices," he said.

"Since this ordinance is to snatch the land of the farmers, we have chalked out strategy to gherao (lay siege) to parliament Feb 20. We are coordinating with other farmers' bodies" Chaudhary said.

The union cabinet in December approved the ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act, adding five more areas which will be exempted from the requisites given in the act.

Five areas were clearance for land for defence purposes, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and housing projects for poor, industrial corridors, and infrastructure or social infrastructure projects, including those in public-private projects in which ownership of land will remain with the government.