AAP slams govt for being ‘unfair’ to farmers

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, February 27

Charging the government of handing out a shabby treatment to farmers through the ongoing Jai Kisan campaign, the district unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest here today.

The drive was launched from Gurgaon on February 21 and will cover all ten Lok Sabha seats of Haryana.

Led by party’s state convener Ashawan Gupta, activists assembled at BK Chowk and took out a march in the city. Later, they submitted a memorandum to local MP Krishan Pal Gurjar regarding their demands. They handed over a packet of salt as a mark of protest.

The demands include immediate implementation of the the Swaminathan Commission’ report on minimum support price (MSP) and suitable amendments in the Land Acquisition Bill.

Addressing mediapersons, Gupta charged both Modi and Khattar governments of backtracking on the promises made by the BJP prior to the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections.

Alleging double standards, he said it was the same party which left no opportunity to attack the UPA and Congress governments on the same issues.

“Now when the BJP was in power, both at the Centre and in the state, they have staged a volte-face by resorting to lame excuses regarding implementation of their promises. Describing shortage of urea as a creation of the wrong policies, he said it was due to a huge drop in the import of the fertilisers. The import which was to the tune to 45 lakh tonnes previously was reduced to just 17 lakh tonnes last year.

Blaming the BJP government of backtracking on the issue of rgw Swaminathan Commision Report, he said the BJP in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls had promised a profit of 50 per cent on the input costs of the farmers.

The party demanded dropping of the present Land Acquisition Bill as it is would make land owners suffer due to a huge reduction in the financial compensation. The party has covered Gurgaon, Karnal and Sonepat districts under the campaign and has announced to carry on the protests to highlight the issues faced by the common man.

Yogender Yadav, a senior party leader, who was earlier announced to lead the protest could not turn up due to some other assignment, claimed a party spokesperson.

Major demands
Their major demands include immediate implementation of the the Swaminathan Commission’ report on minimum support price (MSP) and suitable amendments in the Land Acquisition Bill.
 

AAP up in arms against corruption at DTP’s office
Sirsa: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today alleged that corruption was rampant in the District Town Planner’s (DTP) office in the guise of issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) for registration of sale deeds. Prahlad Singh Bharukhera, a state executive member of the outfit, alleged that the office had issued directions that for the registration of a sale deed of any property not included in Sirsa town, as it was in 1892, an NOC was mandatory. “By terming all colonies established after that period as illegal and making a NOC mandatory for them the DTP’s office has been collecting bribes from the purchasers,” he alleged. The Haryana Development and Regularization of Urban Areas Act was enacted in 1975 and all colonies that came up before it were regularized. The government was already providing all facilities to such colonies, he pointed out. However, by holding all colonies established after 1892 as illegal, the DTP had found a new way to collect money through corrupt means. In fact, corruption had increased ever since the BJP government was voted to power, he alleged. — TNS