UP CM Mayawati announces new land acquisition policy

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has announced a new land acquisition policy after weeks of violent protests against her government. Mayawati said that as per the new policy developers would now directly negotiate with farmers for land and that the state government would just act as a facilitator.

Blaming the Centre for the violence against land acquisition in Bhatta and Parsaul villages of Greater Noida, Mayawati also promised compensation to the farmers of the twin villages.

She also demanded better land acquisition policy from the Centre, saying that her party will launch an agitation outside Parliament in the Monsoon Session if the issue was not resolved.

"Under the new land acquisition policy in Uttar Pradesh, developers will directly take property from the farmers. The role of the government will be that of a felicitator. We will try to ensure that a national policy on land acquisition is made on the lines of the policy in Uttar Pradesh. The Bahujan Samaj Party government has consulted farmers to come up with a new land acquisition policy. The issues of farmers can be resolved only after direct talks with them," said Mayawati.

"BSP will gherao (blockade) Parliament if the UPA Government does not take concrete steps to resolve the land acquisition issues. The BSP will aggressively raise the land acquisition issue in the coming Monsoon Session," she said.

The political parties are trying to politicise the farmers issue and claimed that the violence in Bhatta and Parsaul was an example of how the Opposition parties have tried to use the farmers to defame her government.

Mayawati had called a "mahapanchayat" on Thursday at her residence in Lucknow which was attended by farmers belonging to Bhatta, Parsaul, Tappal and Chandauli.

Tappal village in Aligarh district and some villages in Chandauli district in eastern Uttra Pradesh have also seen violent agitation against land acquisition.

The land acquisition issue has assumed importance as the Opposition has been alleging that the Mayawati government has been insensitive to the farmers. With the state due to elect a new Assembly in 2012, none of the political parties want to be left behind in raising the land acquisition issue.