The Supreme Court yesterday slammed governments for invoking the provisions of colonial law to divest farmers of their prime agricultural land. The Bench observed that a sinister campaign has been launched by various state governments to take advantage of the law against the poor people for taking away the land and giving it to builders where multiplexes, malls, posh residential complexes are developed which are beyond the reach of common men. The Supreme Court refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order quashing notifications for land acquisition in the area adjoining the national capital. The Apex court also questioned the change in land use by Uttar Pradesh government in Greater Noida and said, that was not the plan for which the land was acquired. The sharp remarks by the Apex court Bench came during the hearing on petitions filed by Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority and real estate developers and builders challenging the Allahabad High Court order which had quashed the notifications for land acquisition in Greater Noida adjoining the national capital.