Rohtak:
There seems to be some more trouble brewing for Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda over land acquisition in the state. This time, the state government has been accused of diverting 42 acres of land for building memorial in Rohtak district for the Chief Minister's father Ranbir Hooda, who was a freedom fighter.
The land, though, was actually acquired for setting up Industrial Model Townships but was diverted to a trust of the family.
The Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation had acquired over three thousand acres of land for setting up Industrial Model Townships or IMTs. Though the landowners here filed objections saying their land was fertile and industry should be set up on barren land, all their objections were overruled.
Later, the state government decided to have a memorial on this land.
In 2008 and 2009, the farmers were given compensation of Rs 26 lakh per acre; they have now moved the High Court asking their land to be returned.
"They took the land for something else now memorial has come up. This is how they work," said Rajbir Singh, the aggrieved. The court has sought the records.
Their petition in the High court contends that diversion of land is in gross violation of the land acquisition act and completely illegal, But the Chief Minister maintains that there is nothing wrong in it.
Till few years back, Haryana was complimented for its land acquisition policy. But now, different voices of dissent are beginning to be heard against the state's land acquisition policy. Though the matter is in the court, this row too can have a political fallout.