Sonia's intervention sought in land acquisition in AP: Brinda

New Delhi, May 31(UNI) The CPI(M) today sought UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's direct intervention in what it described as repressive tactics adopted by the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh in acquisition of land of poor people and giving it to the 'land mafia'.

Ms Gandhi's personal intervention was sought when a high-level delegation, led by party Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat, called on her here to inform her that since 1969 the Andhra Pradesh government had claimed 42 lakh acres of land allotted to Dalits and tribal people.

''To make matters worse, the present government amended the Assignment Act, which favoured the legalisation of the illegal possession of these pieces of land by influential people,'' she told Ms Gandhi.

During the 30-minute meeting, Ms Gandhi assured the CPI(M) leaders that she would personally look into the matter and talk to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy. The delegation included P Madhu, party Rajya Sabha MP and Party Central Committee member V Srinivas.

Briefing mediapersons, Ms Karat said the party delegation also submitted a memorandum to the UPA chief, saying the accompanying guidelines of the amendment, if enforced, would ensure that those illegally occupying the pieces of land would become legal owners.

Responding to a specific query that the AP government had set up a committee to look into the matter, the CPI(M) leader retorted, ''Where is the need for any committee... No more committees as these are set up only for the distribution of land and not for taking back land from the poor.'' ''What we are demanding is restoration of the land to the poor sections of society as per the policy of the UPA's Common Minimum Programme and the Congress manifesto to find a solution to the land issue,'' said Ms Karat.

On the ongoing movement in the state on the issue, they said instead of resolving these issues, the state government had resorted to ''unprecedented repression''.

In the last 15 days, over 8000 people have been arrested, false cases registered against over 1000 people who had been jailed. Even CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and AP state Secretary B V Raghavulu has been booked on several non-bailable charges.

To a question whether the land issue in Andhra did not have the shadow of the Nandigram episode, she said, ''Indeed, this is the opposite of the Nandigram incident. The Nandigram incident did not involve the question of land acquisition. Here is West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who said there was no question of any land acquisition without the consent of the people concerned.'' But in the Andhra Pradesh case, the government issued notification for utilising such pieces of land for 'public purposes' in the CM's native district,Kadapa'. The government is diluting acts that are favouring the poor.'' UNI