Former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said that in terms of the Land Reforms Amendment Act, his party has worked for the benefit of the farmers but Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not do any justice in this regard.
"The opposition should not just be the namesake party. It must manage its responsibilities constructively. In the case of the Land Reforms Amendment Act, the JDS has done the work for the benefit of the farmers. In terms of the Act, there was no justice done by Congress or BJP. JD(S) has made the Act balanced," said Kumaraswamy.
"The JDS initially opposed the land reform amendment bill proposed by the BJP and some of its points. JDS said what needs to be changed. Congress also opposed the bill but did not say what should be changed. It was limited to the opposition," he added.
A significant change has been made in the Act as suggested by the JDS, Kumaraswamy asserted.
"The bill proposed earlier allowed any person to own a maximum of 248 acres. However, it has now been removed. Article 80 provides that the irrigated farm under Section 80 should be used for agricultural purposes only," he added.
"The principle that the landlord was the owner of the land was instructed to make no changes. It has been retained. Is this not the pride of the JDS that Devaraj as wishes maintained in the change? We have succeeded in making sure that the SC/ST people are not exempt from the land issue," said Kumaraswamy.
There has been a lot of debate within and outside the legislatures to date regarding the merits of Article 79 (a, b) of the Act. Pro. Nanjundaswamy himself asserted--It will destroy the freedom of the people, he said.
In spite of the willingness to cultivate, the rule of cultivating farmland for non-cultivators is lifted, he added.
"Siddaramaiah was the CM for the review of the requirements and pros and cons of Article 79 (a, b). However, Siddaramaiah's comment on these issues is now divine silence. JDS is making agriculture accessible to the minds of farmers by removing this clause," said Kumaraswamy.
"79 (a, b) modifications help to increase our agricultural reach. It will help to attract youth towards agriculture. The road will be paved for those who want to experiment in agriculture. Scientific agriculture facilitates traditional agriculture. It should all be noted," he added.
JDS has achieved real reform in the Land Reform Act. Yet JDS is getting out of the way without a review, said Kumaraswamy.
( With inputs from ANI )
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