Anand Sharma comes down hard on idea restricting govt say on land acquisition

NEW DELHI: The commerce and industry ministry will oppose the standing committee's recommendation that the government should not have a role in land acquisition for any "for profit enterprise", be it public, private or in the PPP mode.

"These recommendations are unacceptable not only to the industry but also to my ministry," commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said at a news conference on Friday. "You cannot take a view that is regressive, prevents growth of manufacturing and virtually dampens investor sentiment."

A parliamentary panel, which went through the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, has recommended that governments, central as well as states, should not help acquire land for private and PPP enterprises.

It also said that the "public purpose" in the bill should be restricted to linear infrastructure and irrigation, including multipurpose dams and social sector infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and drinking water, or sanitation projects constructed at state expense.

Sharma has taken strong exception to the exclusion of manufacturing and industrial activity from public purpose.

"We have to encourage investments in industry, particularly in the manufacturing sector. The jobs will only be created there. You cannot take it out of public purpose," the minister said.

Where states have already done zoning of land for manufacturing zones, it is primarily their responsibility to execute it, Sharma said.

"I fail to understand that where states have done zoning of land and their specific proposals are already with the government, why should we do anything that will come in their way to progress," he said.