The ongoing Garib Basao Abhiyan (Housing for the Poor) of the All India Agricultural and Rural Labour Association (AIARLA) has made the issue of homestead rights for the rural poor a major political question in Bihar. Khegramas national president Satyadev Ram, national general secretary Dhirendra Jha and state secretary Shatrughan Sahni said in a joint statement that the government must stop evading concrete decisions in the name of Operation Basera.
The leaders demanded land titles for poor families on the land where they are already settled under Section 47 of the PP Act, colonies for landless families in every panchayat and five decimals of land for every landless family. They questioned how poor families would build homes and keep livestock on plots of half a decimal to two decimals being discussed by the government.
Khegramas announced that a mass mobilisation of the rural poor will be held at panchayat buildings across Bihar on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, where families will submit applications demanding land rights and employment under the VB GRAMG law and obtain acknowledgement receipts.
The organisation demanded that the government ensure the presence of panchayat secretaries, employment assistants and other concerned officials at all panchayat buildings on October 2 to accept applications and issue receipts.
The Khegramas leaders called for the immediate implementation of a concrete action plan providing five decimals of land to landless families, land titles to settled poor households and employment under the VB GRAMG law.
