Karnataka wants Rajnath Singh to clear Land Bill

BENGALURU: Congress-ruled Karnataka wants home minister Rajnath Singh to expedite a law passed by the state legislature that will benefit their party in the upcoming 2018 polls.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah wrote second letter on the matter to Singh on Wednesday stating: “The legislation is pro-people and seeks to empower the poor landless agricultural labourers residing in a land not belonging to them. In the circumstances stated above, I request you to obtain the assent of the Honourable President of India to the said Bill and communicate to us early.”

The law, Karnataka Land Reforms Amendment Bill (2016), hailed as a revolutionary decision and passed by both houses of the Karnataka legislature in March, seeks to give agriculture labourers and tribals the land on which they have unauthorisedly constructed houses all these years, even if it belongs to private parties. It largely applies to scheduled tribes and micro backward castes, who have been deprived of housing rights so far.

An estimated two lakh people living in Lambani thandas, Gollarahattis, Vaddarahattis, Kurubarahattis, Nayakarahattis, Majaregramas, Haadis, Doddis, Palyas, Camp and Colony, will benefit if it comes into force. It will also fulfil in part the Congress 2013 manifesto promise of converting unrecorded hamlets into revenue villages, underlining the party’s image as the flagbearer of the poor, ahead of the state assembly polls in April-May 2018.

“We are hoping that the Centre will clear the law soon as elections are fast approaching and we want to get the framework in place before that. That is why the CM has written a second letter about with within the space of 20 days seeking clearance. If they delay it any further, we will blame the BJP for not clearing a pro-people decision. It will underline our contention that while the Congress is pro-poor, the BJP is not,” a minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet told ET.

The amendment passed is said to be in contravention of provisions of the UPA’s flagship Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (2013) and also a clause in Article 31(A) of the Constitution which insists on Presidential assent for acquiring and handing over private lands to the occupies. “If the Singh understands the urgency, gives the required clearances and puts it up before the President, the BJP can also say they have played a part in this landmark decision,” another source said.