NICE project: H D Kumaraswamy lambasts Congress for not compensating farmers

HDK stated that the Apex Court had directed the government to compensate the farmers within two months and that the market value had to be decided as applicable on April 22, 2019.

Bengaluru: Firing a fresh salvo at the ruling Congress, Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday asked what the party had decided on compensating farmers who had lost their lands to the Bengaluru-Mysuru NICE project, years ago.

“The Supreme Court has slammed the carelessness of authorities for not compensating the farmers who lost their lands even after 22 years. The committee headed by T B Jayachandra had recommended that the government must take up the entire project and that the case be handed over for a higher-level inquiry,” Kumaraswamy said while speaking to reporters.

He stated that the Apex Court had directed the government to compensate the farmers within two months and that the market value had to be decided as applicable on April 22, 2019. The union minister said: “It has been so many days since the court order came. Instead of providing compensation, what has M B Patil (Industries minister) been doing??”

Criticising the Congress over its claim on “injustice” in tax devolution, Kumaraswamy said: “The mistakes by the Congress during its 50-year rule of the country are responsible for all this. It was during Nehru’s period that the finance commission was introduced where the practice of dividing the tax amongst the states was started.” “What did they do when the Manmohan Singh-led government was in power for 10 years?” he asked.