Farmers want their land back
After the state government’s decision to take back thousands of acres that were given to Reliance Industries for developing special economic zone (SEZ) in the area, the local farmers are making hard efforts to get the possession of the land back describing it as their legal right.
Farmers have involved the Jhajjar Deputy Collector by moving a petition in his court. Their demand is that the land should be either declared surplus or returned to its previous owners. The collector has fixed February 25 as the date of hearing.
Dr Ram Kumar Dulina, a social activist, who is heralding the issue on behalf of the farmers, told that they have taken an initiative to fight a legal battle for ensuring justice to the farmers, who had lost their land in the name of development.
Dulina said, “Around 7,700 acres in 22 villages of Jhajjar district were purchased by Reliance Industries to develop the SEZ in the region. Since the development project for which the land was bought is not in existence anymore, the farmers should be returned their land.” He further added that the farmers were ready to return the full compensation amount in lieu of their land.
Further elaborating on the demand being raised by the farmers in their petition he argued that no company, even in addition to the special conditions, could purchase more than 18 acres as per the Haryana Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972; therefore, the land can legally be declared surplus by the district collector.
Nearly all affected are raising their voices against the Government. Ram Kumar of Kukdola village, whose 42 acres was purchased by Reliance Industries in the name of the SEZ, said “We had given our land to Reliance Industries following its assurance of providing jobs to our children and generating other sources of employment, but nothing was done. We want our land back.”
Source: The Tribune
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