New Land Acquisition Act to eliminate Maoist menace: Jairam Ramesh

KOLKATA: Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today asserted that the new Land Acquisition Act was strong enough to eliminate Maoist menace from the country through its effective implementation by the state governments.

"With the effective implementation of this new Land Acquisition Act, Maoist activities in the affected areas would come down drastically. This is because Maoist outfits survive mainly on land and forest issues," he said.

Pointing that the Centre passed the Forest Rights Act earlier in 2007, Ramesh said had the states implemented it effectively, the menace would have been eliminated entirely. "We hope the state governments will now implement it effectively," he said.

The Union minister said the "anti-democratic and anti-farmer" Land Acquisition Act, 1894, had earlier triggered anger in tribal areas, which was exploited by Maoists.