Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday described the G.O.38 issued by the State Government for acquisition of land as the modified version of controversial GO 123.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the TRS Government was forced to issue new guidelines as G.O.38 due to the strong objection raised by the Congress party against GO 123. Describing GO 38 as partial victory for the Congress party, he demanded that the State Government acquire lands only under the Land Acquisition Act 2013. He said that the GO 38 too was incomplete and does not include Social Impact Assessment and Environment Impact Assessment thus causing injustice for the farmers and other oustees.
Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre too has tried many times to amend the Land Acquisition Act 2013 through an ordinance. However, he said that the Congress party not only objected to such moves, but foiled them. He said that the acquisition of land under GO 123 was totally unconstitutional. He accused the TRS Government of forcibly acquiring lands of small and marginal farmers to benefit a few corporates. He said that the Congress party would never tolerate injustice with the farmers and would wage a strong battle against such moves.
Meanwhile, former Deputy CM Damodar Raj Narasimha said that the State Government has acquired nearly 30,000 acres of land without holding a single Grama Sabha. He demanded the State Government to come up with details on total land acquisitions made as per GO. 38. He also dismissed the allegations by TRS leaders of Congress party halting the projects.
Congress senior leaders including Kodanda Reddy, Dasoju Sravan and Bellaya Naik were also present in the press conference. (INN)