Sonia blames BJP for scuttling Bills on rehabilitating farmers

CHANDIGARH: Wooing farmers, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday blamed the BJP for scuttling Bills related to compensation and rehabilitation of farmers whose lands have been acquired and promised to make a law in this regard if voted to power.

"We are aware that land which is acquired from its owners, who are mostly farmers, for industry. Sometimes farmers complain that they are not adequately compensated. Taking this fact into consideration, we had passed a bill in the Lok Sabha, but in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP did not allow it to be passed," Sonia said addressing a poll rally here in favour of party candidate from this Lok Sabha constituency Pawan Kumar Bansal.

"But when our Government comes to power, we will have this Bill made into law. Those whose land is acquired, we will see they get suitable compensation and are rehabilitated," she said.

The Congress President was referring to the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2007. The bills had faced opposition from the BJP and the CPI(M) in the Rajya Sabha.

Land acquisition is also a poll issue in Chandigarh, as several farmers here allege that their lands had been acquired for various mega projects in the city, without being suitably compensated.