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Move to acquire farmland draws flak

Special Correspondent

Government's anti-farmer policy to help industrial houses, says CPI

JAIPUR: The Communist Party of India has expressed concern over the Rajasthan Government's move to acquire farmland near the State Capital to facilitate big industrial houses setting up their units. "The proposal to acquire fertile agricultural land for industrial purposes was replete with corruption and anti-farmer attitude," the party said.

Briefing media persons on the just concluded two-day meeting of the party's State executive here, CPI State secretary Dushyant Ojha said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government which would complete two years in office next month had touched new heights in highhandedness. The conflicts within the Cabinet and between the party and the Government headed by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje were proving detrimental to the State's welfare, he charged.

"The differences within the party and the Cabinet are no more a personal matter of the party as they are affecting the quality of governance here,'' Mr. Ojha said. He cited the case of the proposed land acquisition for setting up a special economic zone near Jaipur and said that the Chief Minister had ignored the collective responsibility of the Cabinet while going ahead with the deal.

"The Government, instead of considering barren land in less developed areas for such industrial projects, is bent upon acquiring fertile farmland near the State Capital to help the industrial houses. The cost of the land near the Capital has skyrocketed after the move, much to the detriment of the poor. The common man can no more afford to live in these areas,'' Mr. Ojha said.

The party at its meeting resolved to launch an agitation in protest against "anti-people'' policies of the State Government. The party would oppose the increase in electricity rates, setting up of private mandis, contract farming and oppression of workers and non-implementation of labour laws.

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