A delegation of Delhi farmers met Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh recently to convey their disappointment on the systematic watering down of a draft of the Land Acquisition Bill by the Group of Ministers.
The farmers, who had come together under the banner of Kissan Mahasangh, said while initially land owner had given up surplus land to the landless immediately after Independence to help establish a social set up with equitable assets and opportun- ities, it was ironical that now laws are being made to facilitate accumulation of thousands of acres of land by private companies and individuals.