MK denies Govt taking over farmers wastelands

Chennai, July 8 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today denied that the Government was proposing to take over wastelands owned by farmers for the purpose of distributing two acres of free lands to landless farmers.

Reacting to reports that some Government personnel were advising farmers who owned wastelands, to register them as agriculture lands as the Government proposed to takeover, he said this was absolutely false.

Mr Karunanidhi said the Government would develop waste lands owned by the Government and distribute them to the landless farmers to enable them to take up farming activity. However, while developing wastelands, if the small and marginal farmers wanted the Government to develop their wastelands, the Government would do so and give back the lands.

After understanding all the details in full, the Government servants, without any likes and dislikes, should extend their cooperation to the Government to implement the massive programme, he said.

He said the DMK, in its manifesto, promised to distribute two acres of land free of cost to the landless farmers, based on the previous AIADMK Government's budget for the year 2001-02, in which, it had stated that there were 50 acres of wastelands in the State.

These waste lands were either patta lands, owned by individuals or owned by the Government, he said adding, the Government would not take over private lands owned by poor farmers. These lands would be developed at Government cost and given back to them, he added.

However, without understanding the concept in full, some revenue officials were deliberately spreading a disinformation campaign to create confusions in the minds of those who owned wastelands, Mr Karunanidhi said.

UNI WS KVV AT PC1747