To safeguard the interests of farmers across the country, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the Shiromani Akali Dal has already made its stand crystal clear to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) regarding the proposed Right to fair Compensation and Transparency the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, thereby pleading that not even an inch of land should be acquired by government without the consent of the farmers and the land owners.Talking to the media persons on the second day of his Sangat Darshan Program in Jandiala Guru Assembly segment, the Chief Minister said that all the SAD MPs in Lok Sabha had already submitted a detailed memorandum to the Chairman JPC stipulating that land was a priceless assets of the farmers and it should not be acquired by the government without the consent of the farmers/land owners. Likewise, land should only be acquired for public sector projects and the government should not get into acquisition of private entities. Badal mentioned that Punjab had a time tested success story of land acquisition policy which ensured that no land was acquired forcefully whenever land was acquired, the interests of the farmers/owners whose land was acquired were paramount and were protected by giving them an option at the rate of market rate plus displacement allowance of 30% or becoming partners in the proposed project through a land pooling policy.
Badal pointed out that the Shiromani Akali Dal has impressed upon the Union Government wherever the land was to be acquired, farmers should be given the option of accepting compensation on market rate plus displacement allowance or join a land pooling process under a policy as followed in Punjab. Further, the farmer should not be denied the right to approach court for redress of grievance. The Chief Minister opined that the state should be given a free hand for fixing market price of the land to be acquired and that price should be accepted for all acquisition, regardless of whether these were done for the state government or the Central government or the public projects. The Chief Minister emphasized that the Punjab model of land acquisition policy should be followed while finalizing a national policy on the subject as SAD was a votary of fool proof safeguards for compensating the farmers and those dependent on land including farm and labourers.
Asked to comment on the state wide ‘mass contact’ program launched by the former Chief Minister and the Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Capt. Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister dared Amarinder Singh to list out any single village in the state which he had ever visited during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2002 to 2007 to redress the grievances of people. He said Sangat Darshan program was the most effective platform for the general masses to get their day to day genuine issues addressed on the spot with the participation of local administration. He said, ‘Sangat Darshan is the only channel of two way communication which is the essence of clean, transparent and accountable governance on the contrary mass contact program being carried out by Amarinder Singh is merely a ploy to promote his own image on one hand and to pursue his hidden agenda to capture power by exploiting the sentiments of the people on the other’.
Mr. Badal quipped, “Capt. Amarinder’s tenure was dominated by his lust to rule over the masses as Chief Minister of the state, being a monarch whereas I, being an elected representative of the people, am ever committed to serve them with all humility and dedication as a loyal public servant. I will always serve the people with the same zeal, sincerity and commitment till my last breath.” The Chief Minister said that he has been overwhelmed by the unbounded love and affection showered by the people on him, which further rejuvenated his unflinching spirit to dedicate his entire life in the service of humanity in consonance with his party’s mission ‘Raj Nahi Sewa’ (We serve people not to rule).
While addressing the people during the Sangat Darshan program, the Chief Minister said that he realized still lot was to be done to ensure overall development of this area so as the fruits of development must percolate down at the grass root level. Thus, he announced to get a comprehensive study done on the villages of Jandiala Guru Assembly Constituency jointly by the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and the local administration to ensure sector wise development of the area with the thrust on the welfare of all sections of the society in a far more meaningful and result oriented manner.
Later, he visited the historic spot in the village Fatehgarh Rajputan to pay glorious tributes and respect to the revered martyrs hailing from this village, who laid down their lives during the Sri Nankana Sahib Massacre. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr. S. Karuna Raju, MLA Jandiala Guru Mr. Baljit Singh Jalal Usma besides the senior officers of the civil and police administration of Amritsar district.