Need to think fresh about land acquisition, says Manmohan Singh

On Board Air India One, May 28 (ANI): Asserting that there is a need to think fresh about land acquisition, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the government is committed to bring this bill for approval in the monsoon session of Parliament.

"With regard to Land Acquisition, I think we need to think afresh, we have a bill which has been on the table for quite some time we are committed to bring this bill for approval in Parliament in the next monsoon session, I do recognize that land acquisition has become a very sensitive issue and that acquisition of prime land is something, which arouses valid concerns as far as acquisition of land is concerned," Dr. Singh told reporters while returning home from a six-day trip to Ethiopia and Tanzania.

"I do recognize the ownership question everywhere is a sensitive issue and before venturing into land acquisition I would expect our companies to weigh political, economic and logical factors," he added.

The Prime Minister further asked the various political outfits not to publicise the land acquisition issue.

"I agree the question land acquistions is a very sensitive question , issues related to farmers have always been sensitive we should take care of this fact. I appeal to the political parties , that they should not politicize these issues, I believe that industrialization is essential for our country to solve the problems of unemployment , problems of poverty and that process have to be equitable and one way in ensuring that the process is equitable land acqusition should not become an instrument of depriving our farmers of livelihood," said Dr. Singh.

The farmers in Uttar Pradesh have been agitating since January demanding higher compensation for their lands acquired by the state government.

Their demand is that only half their lands should be acquired while the rest should be handed over to the farmers after development.

They also want 25 percent reservation for farmers in all schemes of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway.

Apart from this, the farmers have also been demanding for the authorities to give 120 square metre plots to landless farmers and a compensation of rupees 5,00,000 for each acre of acquired land.

The Bhatta Parsaul village in the Greater NOIDA area of Uttar Pradesh had turned into a battlefield on May 7, resulting in the death of two Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel and one villager. Several others were also injured in the same incident, when a clash broke out between farmers and the police. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)