The Hon’ble Chief Minister said that his
contribution towards society would always be remembered.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji has prayed for peace
to the departed soul and has conveyed heartfelt condolences and deep sympathies
to the family members of the deceased.

It may be recalled that Mr. Bhajan Lal became Chief
Minister of Haryana twice. He passed away in Hissar today. He was 80 years old
and was not keeping well for past few months.

Hon’ble Chief Minister Announces New Land Acquisition
Policy to safeguard farmers’ interests

C.M. asks Centre to enforce uniform land
acquisition policy for the country on the pattern of State Government

Historic Panchayat of Farmers’ representatives for
solution of problems relating to land acquisition and other issues

First time in history the deliberations with
farmers on land acquisition

Developers will henceforth take land directly from
the farmers Government and the administration to play the role of facilitator
only

Lucknow :: 02 June 2011

On the initiative of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of
Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Mayawati Ji, a farmer Panchayat, attended by their representatives
from every corner of the state, was held at the State Capital, Lucknow today,
in which a direct communication was established with the farmers to discuss in
detail their various problems and solve them. Problems of the farmers relating
to the departments like irrigation, power, agriculture and allied departments
such as horticulture, animal husbandry etc. were

discussed on the occasion. The most noticeable
outcome of the farmers Panchayat was that the Uttar Pradesh Government, after having
direct dialogue with the farmers formulated a farmer-friendly policy of land acquisition
in keeping with their constructive suggestions.

Hon’ble Chief Minister to hold discussions with
farmers’ representative on June 02, 2011

Lucknow: 01 June, 2011

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Ms.
Mayawati ji will

hold discussions with farmers’ representatives of
the State regarding

the needs, expectations and problems of the
farmers tomorrow on 02

June 2011.

Giving this information here today, the Spokesman
of the State

Government said that the Hon’ble Chief Minister
always remained

sensitive towards the problems of the farmers and
she considered that

proper solution of farmers’ problems could be
found only through the

direct talks with them. She is also in favour of
taking the decision with

the consent of farmers. Keeping this in view, the
Hon’ble Chief Minister

has invited farmers’ representatives for talks in
Lucknow.

The Spokesman said that discussions regarding the
farmers’

problems related to irrigation, electricity,
agriculture, horticulture,

animal husbandry etc. would be held in detail and
the officers present

at that time would immediately dispose of these
problems. Besides,

other problems raised by the farmers would also be
solved.

The Spokesman said that such Kisan Panchayat is
being held for

the first time on the initiative taken by the
Hon’ble Chief Minister. In

this Panchayat, discussions related to agriculture
and every land policy

would be held in detail.

The Spokesman said that the Hon’ble Chief Minister
is of firm

opinion that the farmers should get maximum
benefit in the cases of

land acquisition. Therefore, the policy announced
for land acquisition in

2010 is the most progressive policy in the
country. He said despite of

it, the Hon’ble Chief Minister decided for amendment
in the present

policy with a view to making it much better. The
Spokesman said that

the Hon’ble Chief Minister would give final
touches to this policy after

the discussions with the farmers’ representatives
and considering their

view point.

The Spokesman said that interests of the farmers
of the State

was the top most priority of the Hon’ble Chief
Minister, therefore

Government had taken various effective steps for
providing facilities to

them and development of agriculture. He said that
State Government

had always made efforts that interests of the
farmers could not be

The Hon’ble Chief Minister also announced to
enforce the new land acquisition from today.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister gave a patient hearing
to the problems and the views echoed by farmers’ representatives and directed
the officers concerned on the spot to solve them. She reiterated that the
present State Government was fully alive to the farmers’ problems and their
solution adding that it had always been her Government’s endeavour to safeguard
their interests at all costs.

Announcing the new land acquisition policy of the
State today, the Hon’ble Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati ji emphatically said that
her

Government could follow the rules of agreement
pertaining to all

types of land acquisition. She optimistically said
that the State’s

land acquisition policy would prove more farmer
friendly than the

one proposed by the Central Government. She
demanded that the

Central Government should enforce a uniform land
acquisition policy

for the country on the pattern of the policy
announced by the State

Government.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji was addressing the
historic Panchayat of the farmers’ representatives called at her initiative at her
official residence here today to find solution to the land acquisition and other
problems of the farmers of the State.

Expressing her gratitude to the farmers’
representatives who came

on the invitation of the State Government, she
said that for sometime now the land acquisition led to the situation of confrontation
between the State Government and the farmers in one State or the other. This
situation forced State Governments to confront the resentment of the farmers
and sometimes these incidents created a law and order problem. She said that
her Government clearly believed that the farmers’ problems could be truly
solved only when the decisions were taken in consultation with the farmers
after direct dialogue with them.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that keeping
this in view, her Government held detailed discussion with the farmers’ representatives
on various aspects of land acquisition and sought their suggestions. The matter
was thoroughly discussed at the Government level too. She explained that for
the first time in country’s history, her Government formulated a unique and new
policy in respect of land acquisition in accordance with the suggestions of the
farmers’ representatives after direct dialogue with them adding the new policy
had also been enforced from today.

Dwelling at length on the new land acquisition
policy, the

Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that this had been
divided into three

parts. She maintained that in the new policy
special attention had

been paid to the power projects being set up by
the big private

companies and for the development of the State and
other works,

as this was the main reason behind growing
resentment among the

farmers throughout the country. She lamented that
the preceding

opposition parties’ governments failed to take any
initiative to solve

this problem of the farmers. The opposition
leaders only attempted

to discredit the State Government for the problem
handed down

from the opposition parties’ Government due to
their failure to

address it.

• The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Ms. Mayawati ji

said that her government had taken remarkable
decision in

connection of such cases under which developer has
to

receive land for the project from identified land
directly with

the mutual consent of at least 70 per cent farmers
of the

village through a package. District administration
will only

play the role of facilitator in this process.

• If 70 per cent farmers disagree, then project would be

reconsidered.

• Under this package two alternatives would be available to

farmers. Either, they could take 16 per cent
developed

land, besides Rs. 23,000 annuity per acre for 33
years.

• If farmers wish, they could get cash money as

compensation for some land out of 16 per cent
land.

• Farmers would get developed land free of cost and no

stamp duty would be charged.

• If agricultural land is purchased from anywhere in the state

within a year from the payment of cash
compensation, then

full concession would be given in stamp duty.

• Action would be taken under section-6 for land acquisition

for the land of the farmers who are left out after
70 per

cent.

Referring to the second part of the new policy,
the Hon’ble

Chief Minister ji said that land acquisition would
be decided under

contract rules for fulfilment of basic needs of
people like highways

and canals. She said that the farmers whose land
would be acquired

for such projects would get all benefits of
Government’s

Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy.

• If agricultural land is purchased from anywhere in the state

within a year from the payment of cash
compensation, then

full concession would be given in stamp duty.

Giving information regarding the third part of the
policy, the

Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that some land is
being acquired for

Development Authorities, Industrial Development
Authorities etc.

for which master plan is made. Such type of land
would also be

taken under contract rules of the State Government
with mutual

consent.

• She said that with a view to protecting the interests of the

farmers in this connection, her government had
taken the

decision to provide two alternatives to farmers in
exchange

of acquired land.

• According to the first alternative, the compensation amount

would be decided under contract rules and in this
case the

concerning public enterprise would adopt liberal
approach.

Besides, all the benefits of Rehabilitation and
Resettlement

policy would be given to the affected farmers.

• While under the second alternative 16 per cent developed

land would be given free of cost out of the total
acquired

area, besides annuity of Rs. 23,000 per acre for
33 years. If

farmers wish they could take cash compensation in
place of

some land out of 16 per cent land.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that concession
would be

given in stamp duty under the third part of the
policy in the same

manner like in the cases of land acquisition by
private sector.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that each
farmer whose land

would be acquired or transferred would be given
Rs. 23,000 annuity

per acre per year for 33 years. An increase of Rs.
800 would be

made per acre per year in this annuity, which
would be given in the

month of July every year. If any farmer did not
want to take

annuity, then he would be paid one-time amount of
Rs. 2,76,000

per acre as rehabilitation subsidy.

She said that if the land is acquired or
transferred for the

purpose of any company, then farmers would have
the alternative

of taking the shares of company equivalent to 25
per cent out of

one-time amount of rehabilitation subsidy.

She said that one member of the families becoming

completely landless owing to the land
acquisition/transfer for

private sector would be given employment in the
private sector

company according to his ability.

Such affected family, who would become marginal
farmer as a

result of land acquisition or transfer, would be
given one-time

financial assistance equal to minimum agriculture
wages of 500

days. Similarly, such affected family who would
become small

farmer would get one-time financial assistance
equal to the

minimum agriculture wages of 375 days.

She said that if the family affected from the
project would be

of agriculture labourer or non-agriculture
labourer category, then he

would be given one-time financial assistance of
minimum

agriculture wages of 625 days. Similarly, every
displaced family

would be paid additional one-time amount equal to
minimum

agriculture wages of 250 days.

Besides, the state government had made provision
that the

developer agency would construct one Kisan Bhavan each
in every

village affected by acquisition, through their own
expenses. She

said that the developer agency would run at least
one model school

upto class 8 level along with sports ground within
the project area.

The developer would be responsible for the
construction of the

building of the school.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that if less
than 70 per cent

of the farmers gave their consent then the private
sector project

would be reconsidered. She said that her
government, along with

ensuring the implementation of various
arrangements benefiting

farmers affected by acquisition, had also ensured
that their

participation in development was equal.

Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that certain
elements had created

confusion that the lands of the farmers were
acquired at lower rates

and were later sold at higher rates. She said that
50 per cent of the

acquired land was being used for community
facilities like roads,

parks, green belts etc. Thus, the historic
arrangement of returning

16 per cent of the total acquired land to the
farmers after

developing it free of cost would certainly benefit
the farmers.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that the M.P.s
of her party

would push for the implementation of the policy
announced today

during the monsoon session of the Parliament so
that this policy

could be implemented at the national level. She
regretted that some

opposition parties, instead of pressurising the
Central Government

to formulate land acquisition law, were indulging
in petty politics in

Uttar Pradesh. She said that her government would
not allow them

to do so. She said that everybody knew that the
opposition parties

did not have any issue that’s why they were trying
to provoke the

farmers.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that the
unfortunate

incidents that took place in Bhatta Parsaul
recently were the latest

example of it. She said that there was no
connection between the

compensation provided to the farmers of Bhatta
Parsaul and the

incident that occurred there. She said that the
untoward happenings

that occurred there were instigated by the
opposition parties and it

was their nefarious design. She assured the farmer
representatives

of Bhatta Parsaul that the state government would
compensate the

farmers who had suffered losses during the
incident that took place

there. She emphasised that her government would
not allow

anybody to vitiate the law & order of the
state in the name of the

farmers and it would take stringent action against
those trying to do

so. The government would take action within the
ambit of law, she

warned.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that on behalf
of the

government and her party she had written several
letters to ‘the

Central Government requesting’ to formulate a
farmer friendly

comprehensive national policy on land acquisition,
but to no avail.

Therefore, her party had now decided that this
issue would be

raised in the Parliament in the next monsoon
session. She said that

if the Congress led UPA Government did not
formulate any policy on

land acquisition during the monsoon session, then
the BSP would

lay siege (gherao) of the Parliament. She said that the praising of

the land acquisition policy of the Haryana
Government by the

Congress party was motivated by politics. She
reiterated that the

present land acquisition policy of her government
was most

lucrative policy of the country which would ensure
a lot of benefits

for the farmers.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister ji said that her party
believed that

the farmers always wanted development, but they
also wanted that

they were not rendered jobless and homeless
because of it and

their future became totally bleak. She said that
keeping this in view

her government had decided to implement this
historic land

acquisition policy to protect the interests of the
farmers being

affected by land acquisition.

*********