NGOs forum protests eviction of people for Jatropha cultivation

Jaipur, Aug 7 (UNI) Rozgar Evum Suchna Ka Adhikar Abhiyan, a joint forum of various non government organisations(NGOs) and citizens' groups, has strongly protested against indiscriminate transfer of lands to corporate groups for cultivation of Jatropha and ''forced eviction'' of the poor from their lands in the process.

Noted social activist and Magsaysay awardee Ms Aruna Roy told reporters here today that around 75 poor families have already been evicted from their lands by influencial beneficiaries of the Rajasthan Government's ''insincere and indiscriminate'' decision of land transfer for Jatropha culivation in Udaipur division of the state.

Ms Roy said the state government had decided in arbitrary and insincere manner for transfer of 60 lakh hectares of waste land in the estate to corporate and influencial people for Jatropha cultivation for production of bio-diesel.

She said NGOs and citizens groups were against the manner in which the state government had initiated a move to enforce transfer of huge lands without taking the state assembly in confidence or consulting any of the parties concerned.

Ms Roy presented before the media, a few land holders whose lands had allegedly been ''grabbed'' in Udaipur divission in the process.

She said social activists and NGOs would strongly oppose the government's move and work to presrve the common waste land in the villages and safeguard land rights of poor villages.

She said this contentious issue had been included in the agenda of the statewide padyatras being organised by the NGOs in the state from August 9, the August Kranti day.

UNI