‘Jan Sansad’ debates Land Acquisition Bill
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 29
With the issue of land reforms and the controversial Land Acquisition Bill dominating the fourth day of the five-day 'Jan Sansad', activists, academicians and hundreds of farmers expressed their reservations on the changes made to the bill-the Right to Fair Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Bill- whose new draft is going to be made public in a day or two.
The draft of the bill was referred to a Group of Ministers (GoM) chaired by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar last month and finally "the report with substantial changes will be made public in a day or two. Some differences with the civil societies remain, but some of their suggestions have been accepted," said Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh during a meeting with an eight-member delegation today.
At the Jan Sansad, people called upon the government not to disregard the concerns surrounding the forcible displacement of villagers in order to favour the prospects of corporate honchos.
Hailing the efforts of Aruna Roy and Nikhil Roy for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar said despite the struggle, the government is grabbing the lands of people in the name of development. On the one hand, it is promising jobs to them, on the other it is snatching away their source of income.
It was not only the members of civil society groups who expressed their disapproval for forcible land acquisitions, even members from the political spectrum, such as senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shakar Aiyar espoused the cause of farmers.
Urging the gathering to put pressure on the government, Aiyar viewed, "The bill was prepared in haste and the report of the Standing Committee has ignored the issue of the livelihood of people concerned."
Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121130/delhi.htm#2
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 29
With the issue of land reforms and the controversial Land Acquisition Bill dominating the fourth day of the five-day 'Jan Sansad', activists, academicians and hundreds of farmers expressed their reservations on the changes made to the bill-the Right to Fair Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Bill- whose new draft is going to be made public in a day or two.
The draft of the bill was referred to a Group of Ministers (GoM) chaired by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar last month and finally "the report with substantial changes will be made public in a day or two. Some differences with the civil societies remain, but some of their suggestions have been accepted," said Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh during a meeting with an eight-member delegation today.
At the Jan Sansad, people called upon the government not to disregard the concerns surrounding the forcible displacement of villagers in order to favour the prospects of corporate honchos.
The new bill, lined up for discussion in the winter session of Parliament, should not be passed without the major stakeholders-the farmers and labourers employed in the fields-being taken into confidence was the unanimous demand that echoed from the People's Parliament.
Hailing the efforts of Aruna Roy and Nikhil Roy for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar said despite the struggle, the government is grabbing the lands of people in the name of development. On the one hand, it is promising jobs to them, on the other it is snatching away their source of income.
It was not only the members of civil society groups who expressed their disapproval for forcible land acquisitions, even members from the political spectrum, such as senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shakar Aiyar espoused the cause of farmers.
Urging the gathering to put pressure on the government, Aiyar viewed, "The bill was prepared in haste and the report of the Standing Committee has ignored the issue of the livelihood of people concerned."
Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121130/delhi.htm#2
