New land acquisition policy to be binding, humane: PM

NEW DELHI: With land acquisition for industrial projects, including special economic zones (SEZs), facing violent opposition, the government is trying to finalise a new rehabilitation policy for oustees within the next three months. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the new policy will be more progressive, humane and conducive to the long-term welfare of all stakeholders.

Speaking at a Ficci meet on Monday, the PM said that issues such as land acquisition and displacement of people and their rehabilitation and resettlement should be transparently addressed.

Urging the Indian industry to be sensitive to the need to empower the weaker sections of society, Mr Singh said that industrial development is not a zero sum game.

“The weaker sections can benefit equitably from processes of economic and social development. It can be a win-win process for all sections of society,” he said.

The prime minister’s comments are significant in view of the political battle in West Bengal over land acquisition for industrial projects and the attempt by some state governments to impose a cap on land acquisition for SEZs.

Mr Singh assured that a new rehabilitation policy will be finalised in three months with more progressive and humane treatment of the concerns of farmers. The new policy will be mandatory unlike the existing policy which is not binding.

The PM’s statement comes in the wake of violence in Nandigram town of West Bengal where 22 mass organisations have come together to prevent land acquisition by the state government for a proposed SEZ by Indonesia’s Salem group. At least three persons have reportedly died in the ongoing violence.

A Tata Motors car project — to be set up in Singur, West Bengal — has also faced strong resistance from several groups. Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee had gone on a long hunger strike to register her protest against the project.

According to commerce & industry minister Kamal Nath, apart from farmers, farm labourers and shopkeepers should also be suitably compensated. “All economic activities displaced by the acquisition of land should be adequately compensated,” he said.