PM Backs Land Bill, Says Working With "Good Intention" To Help Farmers

By siliconindia | Monday, 06 April 2015, 03:50 Hrs

BENGALURU: Facing attack over the new Land Acquisition Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the land records would be "reformed" for farmers' benefit and attacked opposition for "spreading lies" that the government is working against the interests of the farming community.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said his government was working to empower the farmers as it realises that the nation cannot make progress till villages develop.

Contending that he had lived among the farmers, Modi said he could understand their plight and was working with "good intention" to address their woes.

"How did farmer's lose their land? Where did it go?... To get a job of a peon for their children or to make them a driver, they used to be compelled to sell their land to pay bribes.. The (previous) governments compelled them to (sell land)," said the Prime Minister who is here to attend BJP's two-day National Executive that began.

"Land records will be reformed so that farmers get back their land (which they lost). For this, we will launch a big campaign," he said.

Targeting opposition which has mounted a campaign over Land Bill without naming anybody, Modi said, "Those spreading lies do not know how to protect interests of farmers."

The prime Minister's assertion about taking care of farmers' interests comes against the backdrop of attack by the combined opposition over the Land Acquisition Bill, a contentious issue on which he remained silent in his 55-minute address.

Making a veiled reference to the opposition campaign over Land Acquisition issue, he said efforts were being made to take "political mileage" on the "pretext" of farmers' interests.

He said if saving the farmers' land was so important, it was equally important to "protect" their livestock.

Source: PTI