November 21, 2010
Mamata reiterates her formula
The Trinamool chief indulged in clearing misconceptions on her formula on land acquisition and provided a rebuttal to the proposal floated by the state housing minister. “Let me clarify our stand. I stick to what I said on Singur. The government has to return 400 acres of land. For the unwilling farmers there have not taken the compensation money. Let industry come up on 600 acres. But that can’t be compared with Rajarhat. What I said on Rajarhat is that the government should return 10 per cent of the developed land to the landlosers. This is what I said when the UPA government asked my opinion about the new land acquisition Bill. I said there should no forcible acquisition. When land is required for public purpose, it should be done amicably in consultation with stakeholders. The offer should include a job for the landloser family, the government can return 10% of the developed land to the khet majoor or marginal farmer for their sustenance. That has nothing to do with the way land was grabbed in Rajarahat paying crumbs — 3,000 to 6,000 — to farmers and sold out the land in lakhs. A former Hidco director bought a plot for 10 lakh and sold it on 40 lakh,†said Ms. Banerjee. The Trinamool chief also came down heavily upon the ruling CPM when asked about the financial mess. “The government has been running on overdraft for quite sometime. Now it has become unmanageable. The state’s public debt has reached Rs 1.96 lakh crore. The government has become desperate. It has hiked the entry fee to the Kolkata zoo to Rs 30 where children go to see birds and animals on a holiday. I feel that the children will now go to see the Left Front leaders,†the Trinamool chief said.
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