Udupi, April 22, (DHNS): Advocate turned activist Benedict Noronha has urged the State government to introduce apposite amendments to the Articles 79A and 79B of the Land Reforms Act of 1974.
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, he said that there is a need to introduce appropriate and relevant amendments to the articles of the Act in order to avoid legal hurdles that is incurred to the interested farmers who come forward to purchase agricultural lands. The amendments should not be made for the purpose of industrialisation, rather it should be aimed at protecting the interests of the farmers. Measures should be taken to facilitate the farmers to sell the agricultural land besides facilitating for land conversions, he added. He said that the current laws of the pertaining Act creates problems to those who take up farming in the small land holdings.
The amendments should support the enthusiastic youths who would prefer trying out farming in the non-agricultural land. The requirement for a farmer’s son or daughter to submit the attested certificate proving his framing background before going for purchasing agricultural land is truly unfair. It can be deemed as anti-farmer attitude followed by the government, he added.
The amendments should be made taking into consideration the interests of the farmers, he said.