BJP MLA withdraws resolution to ban agri land sale to outsiders

CM assures to bring bill on it in next assembly session

Raipur, February 22, 2013

BJP MLA Devji Bhai Patel withdrew non-governmental resolution to ban sale of agricultural lands to outsiders after tabling it in state assembly on Friday. Patel withdrew the resolution on chief minister Raman Singh’s assurance that the government would bring bill on it in next Vidhan Sabha session. The CM said the government would first study the agricultural land sale prohibitory laws of other states before tabling the bill. For this, he said, a three-member committee of ministers will be constituted soon.

Earlier, tabling the non-governmental resolution, Patel said the government should make strict law like Himachal Pradesh to protect agricultural lands of Chhattisgarh.

He said the outsiders had purchased large tracts of state’s farm lands near roadsides merely for investment purpose.

Do not expect too much from industries

Participating in the debate, Congress MLA Dharamjeet Singh said the government was responsible for reduction in 10 lakh acres of agriculture lands.

He said land touts were active in state to acquire farm lands for industrialists. “The state will have to face negative repercussions of rapid and disorganised industrialisation. The government should not expect too much from industries as they will only give pollution and diseases,” he added.

He pointed that Punjab and Haryana do not have large-scale industries but economically the two states were much better than Chhattisgarh. He said the government should rather promote agriculture-based industries taking cue from Punjab and Haryana.

He said if farmers from Haryana could do farming on non-agricultural lands near Bemetara then the state agriculture department too could demonstrate advanced farm techniques in every block.

Asking the government to stop business of industrialisation, he said it lacked the commitment to pass the resolution.

Agri land owners becoming labourers

Leader of opposition Ravindra Choubey said the owners of agricultural lands were becoming labourers after selling their lands. He said the agricultural lands have shrunk by 4% and forest lands by 3% due to industrialisation.

“Why government was in haste for industrialisation? Why it signed 49 MoUs for power plants abruptly? Unfortunately, whenever the opposition raise the matter of industrialisation, the entire Mantralaya rushes to counter out argument,” he said.

The debate was participated by MLAs Narayan Chandel, Haridas Bhardwaj, Kheduram Sahu, Agni Chandrakar, Krishnamurthy Bandhi, TS Singhdeo and Saurabh Singh.

Resolution to setup DD centres in different parts of state passed

The state assembly unanimously passed amended non-governmental resolution to establish Doordarshan (DD) centres in different parts of the state on Friday.

The resolution was tabled in Congress MLA Haridas Bhardwaj who sought establishment of DD centre in Saraipali. The chief minister Raman Singh urged Bhardwaj to amend the resolution and broaden it with demand to setup DD centres in different parts of the state including Sarguja.

Bhardwaj accepted the amendment proposal and the house passed the resolution.