Land reforms will help in curbing farmers suicides: Nitin Gadkari

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The land reforms if not allowed would bring the irrigation projects to a stand still. It would further aggravate the agriculture crisis in state which is reeling under highest number of farmer’s suicides, said Gadkari. Maharashtra with a irrigation potential at 16.8 per cent is second lowest after Jharkhand which should be a cause of concern for all political parties, he said.

The union minister who belongs to Vidarbha region in Maharashtra said, “Almost 80 per cent of the land acquisition in state would be for purpose of irrigation projects.”

Gadkari also called the allegations that the government land acquisition Act is to promote industries as absolutely baseless.

The UPA which is accusing NDA for being anti-farmer had enlisted 13 categories for land acquisition including coal mines and minerals. Gadkari said, “The Congress is playing a double role. The Congress which is raising questions related to contentious clause namely seeking 80 per cent consent from farmers for land acquisition and mandating impact assessment committee had opposed the same in the past.”

According to Gadkari all the Congress chief ministers including former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan had expressed concerns over UPA land act. Despite making it compulsory to pay compensation four times for land acquired from farmers, Chavan government gave only 50 per cent compensation, he said.

However, Chavan has dismissed Gadkari’s argument of equation land act with irrigation potential as baseless. Chavan said, “The reason for low irrigation potential are different. It cannot be linked with land reforms alone to enhance the irrigation potential.”