Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)
Mangaluru, Jun 9: The Citizens Forum for Mangalore Development organized a discussion on the Land Acquisition Bill with advocate Clifton D’Rozario from Bengaluru at the MBA conference hall, SDM College here on Monday June 8.
Addressing the gathering, advocate Clifton D'Rozario said, "The first Land Acquisition Bill was introduced in 1894 and amended after 120 years. Currently the bill has become a tug-of-war between BJP and congress. Development works cannot be decided by sitting in Delhi. The planning for development has to be done at the grassroot level too."
"The law of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 which was passed had a consent clause and a Social Impact Assessment clause which was a victory to many years of struggle of farmers and various unions. The new law was amended by the BJP government within six months of assuming power. The new ordinance has taken away the main consent clause and Social Impact Assessment clause out of the scene," he said.
"All political parties are trying their best to acquire the land in an easy way. The government says power, highways, housing, defence and infrastructure projects are the five areas which do not require consent. These are the main projects which will acquire vast land and farmers will be affected if the right of the land is taken away from them. In India after independence, around 60% of the land acquired for the defence is still barren. As per the new amendment, even the irrigated land can be taken without consent for the defence," D'Rozario stressed.
"It is high time for all farmers to wake up and organize a district-level meeting and discuss various aspects of the Land Acquisition Bill. If we become lethargic towards it, the victory which we got after many years of struggle through Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 will slip out of our hands," he added.
Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim said, "Everyone requires power, good roads, good companies but no one is ready to leave their land. In Kerala roads are blocked but people are not ready to give land. The GAIL pipeline project has been stalled due to unwillingness to give up land in Kerala. We choose representatives hoping that they will bring better laws and development, and then we criticize if they do not perform. In the country where population is 120 crores, all cannot take decisions, so we choose representatives, MPs, MLAs etc. If they are not performing it is our fault and not theirs. We should elect good representatives.
"The public is interested in democracy only during elections. People are interested in crime news and sports but no one is interested to read news regarding the government notifications. The citizens have to participate in democracy. NGOs are protesting for all the projects but are not providing any alternative solution. They have failed in their responsibility, along with bureaucracy and the public at large. How many participate in gram sabha meetings? The citizens have to become proactive and participatory in democracy," he concluded.
Superintendent of police Dr S P Sharanappa and assistant commissioner MCC Ashok were also present on the occasion.