NGOs opposes leasing out public land to corporates for bio diesel

Jaipur, Jan 15 (UNI) Vasundhara Raje government's recent move to lease out public land to private players for the cultivation of oil-seeds for bio-diesel has come in for scathing criticism from the NGOs.

''Rozgar Evam Suchana ka Adhikar Abhiyan'' and ''Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan'', NGOs, alleged that precious public land has been given away to private palyers at throwaway prices under the grab of promoting cultivation of crops for the generation of bio-diesel.

Magsaysay awardee Aruna Roy in a statment said ''the Rajasthan government's decision to lease out 57 lakh hectares of waste land to private parties including large corporates be seen along with the acquisition of large tracts of fertile land from farmers for the setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) is a clear indication of the lop-sided priorites that favour private interests and further impoverish the poor''.

The statement added the present policies of the government would simply accentuate inequalities by snatching away land from the farmers and peasants on the one hand and fattening the purses of the corporates and private parties on the other.

She said the so called 'waste land' is in fact the 'collective resource' of the people of rural Rajasthan used for a variety of common property needs.

''Lakhs of hectares of public land is being leased out to corporates with an ease leaving the people to wonder whether this is the government of the people or 'tekedar' of mega corporates or multinational companies'' she said.

UNI