Siddaramaiah says Karnataka land reforms ordinance anti-farmers, seeks withdrawal
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday attacked the BJP government over changes to land reform act that liberalized farmland ownership, alleging there was a scam bigger than the illegal mining during the previous regime of the saffron party.
The changes effected through a recent ordinance amounted to almost repealing the entire act and the protection to poor and small farmers under it had been taken away, the senior Congress leader said, demanding its withdrawal.
Accusing the state government of behaving like 'agents' of corporates and bowing to the pressure of real estate players, he said the Congress will organize a statewide agitation from the village level, along with farmers' organizations and other like-minded parties, against the ordinance.
Denying the charges, state Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said the amendments were made as the existing act was unique and was in no way useful to farmers and people in general and instead misused for corruption.
Pointing out that Congress legislators had supported the amendments earlier, he expressed surprise over Siddaramaiah criticising the ordinance and ruled out its withdrawal.
The government had on July 13 promulgated the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, bringing in sweeping changes, including easing restrictions on buying of agricultural land and ceiling on the extend of land one can hold.
"The BJP government in Karnataka has made amendments to the land reforms act and brought out an ordinance on July 13 despite stiff opposition from us," Siddaramiah, Leader of the opposition in the state assembly, told reporters here.
"I had initially thought that the government will not come out with the ordinance at a time when COVID-19 is spreading, but the government did," he said.
He termed as 'dictatorial' the government's decision and the day the ordinance was brought in as 'black day'.
"If the government had good intentions it should have brought it (the measure) during the assembly session and also had a public debate on the issue," the opposition leader said.
The ordinance has repealed Sections 79 (A), (B) and (C) from the original Act, and made way for non-agriculturists to buy farmland.
Siddaramaiah further said the present Karnataka government has bowed down to real estate players and corporates and accused the Centre of supporting such "anti-farmer" policies of the state.
He claimed 13,814 pending cases of violation in land use would get dismissed under the latest ordinance and alleged there was a bigger conspiracy behind it.
"This looks like a scam bigger than the mining scam, as several cases or petitions that were pending under sections 79 (A), (B) are dismissed, and they were related to a violation in the use of land worth about Rs 45,000-50,000 crores," he said.
The mining scam that rocked the previous BJP government in the state in 2008-13 was said to be about Rs 35,000 crore.
To a question as to who was behind this scam, Siddaramaiah said, "I have said it is bigger than mining scam which involved specific people, but in this (scam) the whole government itself is in it and has fallen prey to corporate bodies and real estate..."
Pointing out that the government was giving various reasons for bringing in the ordinance, he alleged the real intention was to help corporates and realtors, among others, which is clear from the fact that they have raised the landholding limit to 80 units.
Also, the Congress leader cautioned that the government's move may cause a threat to the food security of the country.
Ashwath Narayan said that the government will not withdraw the ordinance at any cost.
"While there was one kind of act across the country it was different in Karnataka and was in no way useful to farmers and people. Its misuse had led to a lot of corruption, and the amendments are pro-development," the DCM was quoted as saying by his office in a release.
"It is not anti-farmer and some people for their political benefit were making such comments," he added.
The government had earlier said the amendments were aimed at ending harassment of farmers by officials using the curbs in the parent act and also help the state in attracting investments.
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Two held at Bengaluru airport with hydroponic ganja worth Rs 5.79 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): Two people were arrested at the Kempegowda International Airport here for attempting to smuggle hydroponic ganja valued at Rs 5.79 crore, upon their arrival from Bangkok on Wednesday, officials said
They seized 16.54 kg of hydroponic ganja, which was concealed in the checked-in baggage, the Bengaluru Customs said in a post on 'X'.
Both the accused were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, it said.
Meanwhile, the Customs officials at the Bengaluru Airport also disposed of 287.5 kg of Ganja (Hydroponic Weed) and 1.17 kg of Cocaine seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, in accordance with CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs) Disposal Manual on March 17, it said in another post.
