LAND ACQUISITION/SEZ – 2014 (January to December - 2014

Compiled By Fr. Paul G Documentation Centre∗

New land acquisition law comes into force (4) NEW DELHI: The new Land Acquisition Act, enacted by Parliament in September to provide just and fair compensation to those whose land is taken away for constructing roads, buildings or factories, will come into force from Wednesday, replacing 120-year-old legislation. The Act, meant for bringing transparency to the process of acquisition of land, provides for generous compensation and rehabilitation of those affected by the takeover. The new law — Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act — stipulates mandatory consent of at least 70% of affected people for acquiring land for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects and 80% for acquiring land for private companies. Now, state governments will have to set up at least six bodies, including the state-level Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority, to hear disputes arising out of projects where land acquisition has been initiated by the state or its agencies. As per rules made by the ministry, the state governments should take immediate steps to create and establish the State Social Impact Assessment Unit, the office of the Commissioner Rehabilitation and Resettlement and the State Level Monitoring Committee. The new law was enacted as the archaic Act of 1894 suffered from various shortcomings including silence on the issue of resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by land acquisition. Under the new legislation, compensation for the owners of the acquired land will be four times the market value in rural areas and twice in urban areas. It also stipulates that the land cannot be vacated until the entire compensation is awarded to the affected parties. The law has the provision that the companies can lease the land instead of purchasing it. Besides, the private companies will have to provide for rehabilitation and resettlement if land acquired through private negotiations is more than 50 acres and 100 acres in urban and rural areas, respectively. (Times of India 1/1/14) Farmers demand more compensation (4) DHOLERA: The state government on Friday announced that the Narmada water will once again reach the Bhal area. The farmers demanded that the Jantri for giving compensation to them should be revised and the compensation should be given as per the Jantri for an irrigation land. K D Chanrani, IAS in-charge of Dholera SIR, announced that on December 19, last year the state government and the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited had taken the decision that about 30,000 hectares of land as per the original Narmada Project would get water for irrigation. He said on December 31 last year the government had also taken a decision to begin work soon. Apart from demanding livelihood, the farmers also sought compensation for their land as per irrigation land. One of the farmers, Omdevsinh Baldevisnh from Kajipur, said "First the government withdrew Narmada water and later they decided the Jantri rate and fixed compensation, but now they are promising Narmada water. Give us compensation as irrigated land and not as non-irrigation land." District collector Roopwant Singh was also flooded with complaints that the land which originally belonged to the farmers has been handed over to SIR for sale.The collector later said that he would hold one-to-one meeting and would resolve the issue. At least 10 different organizations including the Nature Conservation Society and Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti made written representations. Mahesh Pandya of Paryavan Suraksha samiti said, "Due to Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), 33.5% of irrigated agriculture land will be converted into industrial land. This will raise

∗ This is a collection of previously published news and views from the print as well as the electronic media, whose reference marked at the end of each news items. Department of Documentation and Library (DDL) of the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi neither claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views expressed.

issues of food insecurity which is already a challenge in the coming year. Also, this area is producer of Bhaliya wheat, which is very high quality wheat and found in this area alone. Thirdly, traditional livelihood pattern will be disturbed due to the upcoming project of DSIR. Animal husbandry of the villagers who are residing in the gamtal inside DSIR will be affected as they will not have enough grazing land for the animals." Villagers are not willing to give land to the project which will create disturbance and will cause destruction in their lives. The draft report is like making a mockery of the hearing. The government has not followed any guidelines for the same. Even the provisions of Costal Zonal Regulations have been violated. (Times of India 4/1/14) After Maoists, Chhattisgarh DGP seeks land reforms in Bastar (4) Raipur: While Maoists have often demanded land reforms as a pre-condition to laying down arms, Chhattisgarh Director General of Police (DGP) Ramniwas has also expressed concern at "illegal" acquisition of land belonging to tribals, and its adverse effect on the socio-economic and law and order situation in the state. Stating that the country has ignored Bastar tribals, he has said that the "very foundation" to address their concerns is "missing".Pushing for "much-needed land reforms" to mitigate "severe injustices in land rights", Ramniwas, in a book that he has edited — titled Land Scenario in Chhattisgarh, dedicated to the "memory of millions of tribals who have suffered the dispossession most" — has said, "Chhattisgarh, being a new state, is witnessing a momentous transformation, no less due to rapid urbanisation-industrialisation affecting socio-economic, cultural and agricultural scenario...Plotting is rampant and a whole new class of landlords has come to rule the roost. Even from the viewpoint of criminology, without getting into the intricacies of builder-bureaucrat-politician nexus, one can safely vouch for the need of some urgent healing measures, of regulatory nature." Stating that his observations were derived from his "on-field postings in Indian Police Service", he has noted, "Unfortunately, the very foundation is missing to start the homework for such interventions due to peculiar circumstances of public policy and academic discourse in the state." Speaking to The Indian Express, the DGP stressed that the neglect of the tribal zone must end. "Bastar is providing oxygen to the entire country. The country should think about its tribal residents. People have emotional attachment with their land and river," he said, while refusing to comment on the core Maoists' demand for stopping acquisition of tribal land in Bastar for industrialisation. In the book, Ramniwas has claimed that he was also a victim of forcible land acquisition. "As a child, I saw and felt dispossession due to land acquisition. Later on, toiling in the fields as the elder son of a farming-teacher couple, I developed a keen interest in land rights and land-use planning," he has said. (Indian Express 6/1/14) After Maoists, Chhattisgarh DGP seeks land reforms in Bastar (4) Raipur: While Maoists have often demanded land reforms as a pre-condition to laying down arms, Chhattisgarh Director General of Police (DGP) Ramniwas has also expressed concern at "illegal" acquisition of land belonging to tribals, and its adverse effect on the socio-economic and law and order situation in the state. Stating that the country has ignored Bastar tribals, he has said that the "very foundation" to address their concerns is "missing".Pushing for "much-needed land reforms" to mitigate "severe injustices in land rights", Ramniwas, in a book that he has edited — titled Land Scenario in Chhattisgarh, dedicated to the "memory of millions of tribals who have suffered the dispossession most" — has said, "Chhattisgarh, being a new state, is witnessing a momentous transformation, no less due to rapid urbanisation-industrialisation affecting socio-economic, cultural and agricultural scenario...Plotting is rampant and a whole new class of landlords has come to rule the roost. Even from the viewpoint of criminology, without getting into the intricacies of builder-bureaucrat-politician nexus, one can safely vouch for the need of some urgent healing measures, of regulatory nature." Stating that his observations were derived from his "on-field postings in Indian Police Service", he has noted, "Unfortunately, the very foundation is missing to start the homework for such interventions due to peculiar circumstances of public policy and academic discourse in the state." Speaking to The Indian Express, the DGP stressed that the

neglect of the tribal zone must end. "Bastar is providing oxygen to the entire country. The country should think about its tribal residents. People have emotional attachment with their land and river," he said, while refusing to comment on the core Maoists' demand for stopping acquisition of tribal land in Bastar for industrialisation. In the book, Ramniwas has claimed that he was also a victim of forcible land acquisition. "As a child, I saw and felt dispossession due to land acquisition. Later on, toiling in the fields as the elder son of a farming-teacher couple, I developed a keen interest in land rights and land-use planning," he has said. (Indian Express 7/1/14) New land acquisitions in Gujarat put on hold (4) GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat revenue department has issued orders to all district collectors, DDOs (district development officers) and all concerned district and state authorities to put on hold all processes for land acquisition till the Centre and the state government notify new rules and regulations under the newly enacted, 'Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation And Resettlement Act-2013'. Land acquisition for Narmada canals and others, roads, public utilities and industrial land acquisitions have also been put on hold by the state government. This has caused panic in industry. Highly-placed sources in the state revenue department said that the new law had come into force in the state from January 1, 2014. "All concerned district and state authorities have been asked not to initiate any new process for land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. Only those will be permitted for which notification under Article 6 (final notice for acquisition) of the old Act, has been issued. Steps for acquisition of land initiated under Article 4 of the old Act will not be allowed. All such acquisitions will also be only according to the new Act," a source said. Another source said that, last week, the state-level committee of ministers had also discussed this issue. "The revenue department has initiated the process for framing of new rules according to the new law and is waiting for rules from the Centre. The process for appointment of land acquisition officers under the new law has also been initiated. No fresh land acquisition will be allowed until these process come to an end," the source said. A senior officer of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) - the state government's land acquisition arm for industrial development - said that because of the new Act, the GIDC's plans for acquisition of more than 2,000 hectares in 2014-15 had been put on hold. "Private land acquisition, major industrial parks and other projects will also be affected. Till the government gives us clearance for starting the land acquisition process, we will not do anything," the officer said. The state government is also working on naming a special authority and officials for execution of the new law. The Gujarat government is still of the opinion that the allegedly "impractical" provisions of the new Act will make it difficult for the state government to execute projects meant for the public's benefit. (Times of India 9/1/14) Narmada oustee adivasis arrested for farming on pub lic land to be released next week (4) BHOPAL: The Alirajpur district administration has decided to release of group of 38 adivasis who were arrested in Jobat tehsil on Sunday for raising crops on government land. The group, which claims that they lost their land to the Sardar Sarovar Project in neighbouring Gujarat and the Jobat Dam in MP, had been farming on public land in Dehedla since 2010. In 2011, they had launched a Zameen Haq Satyagraha following which the police had filed an FIR against “100 to 150 unknown persons” under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Farming has continued here with an assurance from the Narmada Control Authority of rehabilitation of those affected by the dams. On January 5, police raided the spot after the peasants did not obey eviction notices and arrested them for unlawful assembly. They were also booked under the FIR filed in 2011. The peasants, organised by the Narmada Bachao Andolan, had replied to the notices saying that the land offered to them as compensation in Pangula was already under illegal occupation by locals. They refused to take bail as they said the charges are false and have remained in jail since then. Several activists of the NBA have been protesting at the Alirajpur collectorate since January 8. On January 10, their leader Medha Patkar met collector NP Dehariya who agreed to drop the charges of unlawful assembly and that

bail would be granted for all other charges on Monday. “Only 20 of them are project affected persons. The rest are either ordinary encroachers or those from the same villages of the affected. We gave them land but they did not want it. Adivasis live in clans and are very scared to live outside the clan, even if you offer them a golden house. They said they will get killed by non- tribals if they live in their villages as they have no relatives there,” Mr. Dehariya told The Hindu. Ms. Medha Patkar told The Hindu that a Jail Bharo agitation would be launched if the administration did not start the rehabilitation process, which includes a fresh survey of the 13 submerged villages of the Jobat Dam, by January 30. “The real culprit is the Narmada Valley Development Authority which has stalled the surveys and is not parting with land for rehabilitation. Not a single family has been rehabilitated here with alternative means of livelihood. These people did not oppose that dam, yet the condition they have been left in is absolute hell,” she told this reporter over phone. The MP government has taken a hard line on opposition to water works, particularly on the Narmada valley. Last year, the state cracked down on the NBA’s Jal Satygaraha arresting hundreds of people which forced the organisation to call off the stir. Opposition to eviction by adivasis near the Kharak Dam in Khargone was also met with police force. (The Hindu 10/1/14) Distrust emerges between AAP and activists after NB A enters the ring (4) Bhopal: The extension of support by the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) to the Aam Aadmi Party has led to much debate within the party and among rights activists in Madhya Pradesh. While NBA leader Medha Patkar has not joined the party so far, its leaders in MP Alok Agarwal, Chittaroopa Palit and others have joined the party. Mr. Agarwal announced in a press conference here on Wednesday that he is interested in contesting Lok Sabha elections from Khandwa, a seat held the MP Congress Committee President Arun Yadav. “We have struggled for years remaining outside electoral politics and the government has taken several years even to give basic rights like the relief package for Omkareshwar Dam oustees. AAP has taken a stand against forceful displacement and we are also encouraged by their decision not to allow foreign direct investment in retail in Delhi. There is an uprising happening and the people want to join,” he said. He added that at least 200 NBA activists have joined the party and a lakh will follow in the coming weeks. The decision to join AAP was taken during several conventions of the NBA in the Narmada Valley. No AAP leader was present during Mr. Agarwal’s press meet. Its Khandwa district covener Piyush Bhansali pointed out this fact when he spoke to this paper over phone. “Not a single NBA member has contacted me for membership. I am unaware of where Alok ji has taken membership,” he said. Mr. Agarwal clarified that he had enrolled online. AAP’s state secretary Akshay Hunka, a mobile application entrepreneur who is currently in Sagar as part of the party’s Swaraj Yatra, said that no one was present as they were busy with the membership drives. The party claims to have enrolled at least 3.5 lakh new members across the state. These include at least 15 retired officers of the All India Services and several under-the-radar leaders of the Congress, BJP and NCP. When asked about the party’s stand on dams — structures which the NBA has opposed and which are abundant in the state — Mr. Hunka said, “We have a committee which decides on all this. I am not aware of the developments at this moment.” It is this ambiguity which has worried rights activists who have played the role of the opposition after the Congress suffered three successive crushing defeats in assembly polls. Information and Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who won the NDTV RTI award in 2009 — which was given in association with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s Public Cause Research Foundation — said the AAP is confused over the issues the state faces. “No one knows their leader as they have never worked at the grassroots. These are opportunists who jumped on to the bandwagon after AAP’s success in Delhi. The leadership needs to get their concepts clear before,” Mr. Dubey said. AAP’s national executive members Yogendra Yadav and Ajit Jha were members of the Samajwadi Jan Parishad (SJP), a Lohia-ite socialist party active in the Narmadapuram and Jabalpur divisions. SJP’s National Executive member Anurag Modi explained that the reason they have refused to merge into AAP, despite being approached by them, is the party’s absence of ideology. “We fight for alternative development policies. AAP believes that by implementing existing policies well, they can cure the ills of democracy. For them corruption is the

disease; for us it is a symptom of wrong policies,” said Mr. Modi. He added, “A government officer enforcing forest laws and arrests adivasis honestly is alright for AAP. An adivasi’s survival hinges on corruption, on bribes to forest officials to survive in the jungle. AAP is not against the policies which bring misery to the people,” he said. AAP’s state spokesman Prahlad Pandey, a former professor, said that the party’s stand is that “development needs to be redefined and it does not mean snatching away people’s rights.” An AAP source in Delhi confirmed that one of the objectives of opening up membership online was too free it from the stranglehold of district committees which may weigh the party down before it can take off nationally. Tribal and Women’s rights activist Madhuri Krishnaswamy, whose organisation Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sanghatan has held talks with AAP, said that more dialogue was needed for AAP to tap into rural supporters. “There is interest for AAP even in remote tribal villages. We would like further clarifications on their stand on issues like livelihood and displacement. For them to translate their popularity into votes, rural masses need to know what their stand on issues that affect their lives.” (The Hindu 15/1/14) Villagers protest acquisition of 700 acres under ol d law (4) GURGAON: The Haryana government's acquisition of 700 acres of land in various parts of Gurgaon last December has hit a stumbling block as villagers who had agreed to part with their plots are now reluctant to do so if they aren't compensated under the new land acquisition law. The villagers claim they were served notices in a hurry by the government between December 12 and 31 last year under provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The new Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 came into force from January 1 this year. Several villagers have filed objections with the Land Acquisition Office in Gurgaon demanding that the proceedings be held under the new law. An objection can be filed within a month of the notice being served. The places where the government has begun proceedings to acquire land are Badshapur, Farrukh Nagar, Basai, Ullahwas, Nurpur, Akhlimpur, Jharsa, Mubarakpur and Manesar. Officials at the Land Acquisition Office refused to comment when TOI contacted them. "I have filed objections because the Haryana government did not wait for the implementation of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act to acquire the land," said Rajesh Yadav, who lives in Badshapur and owns a 3.5-acre plot. The villagers clarified their objection wasn't against their land being acquired but by the timing of the notices whose obvious purpose was to pre-empt the clauses of the new law. Mukesh, who is among the land-owners to have filed an objection, said, "Under the new law, land-owners will get the market rate of the plot being acquired. That's why the state government rushed to issue notices in December itself." Speaking with TOI, Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh said the notices smacked of "mala fide" intent. "After meeting the land-owners, I have written to CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on land acquisition proceedings in the city. It clearly shows mala fide intent as the timing of the notices is dubious and not in the interest of farmers." The notices, he added, should be scrapped with immediate effect. "The land must be acquired through the new law, which has been framed by Parliament to safeguard the interests of farmers," he said. (Times of India 16/1/14) 'Land losers in Gurgaon will be compensated as per new Act' (4) Gurgaon: Land owners and farmers in Gurgaon would be given compensation as per the new land acquisition act even if the procurement notifications were issued before the legislation came into force on January 1, 2014. Administrator of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Gurgaon P C Meena today said land owners' rights would be protected even if the notifications were issued in November and December last under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. They would be given compensation at the enhanced rates as per the provisions of the new Land Acquisition Act, Meena clarified, adding that people were being misled by some persons and rumours were rife about the notifications issued in the months of November and December last year. "These notifications will in no way jeopardise the interests of the farmers and land owners since the award for compensation is to be announced after January 1 this year, so they need not be misled, their interests are duly protected,"

Meena said. The rehabilitation and resettlement package mentioned in the new Act would be made available to the land owners even though the notifications were issued under the old Act. (Zee News 17/1/14) Posco Displaced Villagers on Dharna (4) PARADIP: Condition of some people, who are on a dharna for the last five days in support of their 14-point charter of demands, has worsened. The protesters displaced by Posco project are suffering from cold and fever due to severe cold condition. Leaders of different organisations and political parties have criticised the State Government and Posco officials for their indifferent attitude towards the agitators. The villagers of Noliashai, Polang and Bhuiyanpal, who would be fully displaced for proposed Posco steel project, are on dharna from January 13 in front of Ersama tehsil office demanding that construction of the boundary wall should be stopped till their demands are met. Congress leader Sarada Prasad Jena criticised the district administration and Posco for ignoring the plight of the agitators. Irate villagers have threatened to launch indefinite hunger strike if administration does not resolve their issues in three to four days. Village chief Jeevanlal Behera said the villagers have decided to intensify the stir to restrict the entry of Posco officials and not to give one inch of land for Posco steel project. Stating that the villagers are not against the Posco project, he said they want their demands to be fulfilled. District administration, however, continued with the construction work. Collector Satya Kumar Mallick said the administration is committed to resolve the issues through RPDAC meeting and the villagers should call off their stir. ()New Indian Express 18/1/14) Cabinet to take decision on FDI in farm land (4) NEW DELHI: The Urban Development Ministry’s argument is that as farm land is already being acquired for township development, permitting FDI will only help raise more funds for the purpose. The UPA Government has formed a three-member Cabinet committee to examine the possibility of opening up agricultural land to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), following a Union Urban Development (UD) Ministry proposal on letting foreign realtors buy agricultural land. The Cabinet committee includes UD Minister Kamal Nath, Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma. At present, FDI is banned in farm land. Further, Indian banking rules disallow loans for the purchase of farm land even for domestic investors – except in the case of large-sized projects –to safeguard against speculative land acquisition and hoarding. The UD Ministry’s argument is that as farm land is already being acquired for township development, permitting FDI will only help raise more funds for the purpose. Real estate developers will, in any case, be applying for land use change after acquiring farm land, the Ministry has said. “When the proposal was put forth by the UD Ministry, the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) declined to comment and said the decision rests with the Reserve Bank of India. Thereafter, there were concerns from other Ministries over relaxation of norms, so the Cabinet has decided that a three-member sub-committee will take a call on the issue,” said an official. Another proposal, on relaxing the FDI regulations for the construction sector has been hanging fire due to lack of consensus on a host of issues, including the policy on purchases of agricultural land. “As of now banks do not give loans for purchase of land unless it is part of a large development project, which will generate revenue. A common complaint against builders is that they collect money from prospective home buyers and then make them wait, because they then scout for land and apply for change of land use policy, all of which eventually delays projects,” said the official. (The Hindu 22/1/14) SC seeks Hooda govt report on 44 SEZs over land 'sc am' (4) NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Haryana government to furnish status of agricultural land acquired for setting up of 44 special economic zones (SEZ), of which 30-odd had been notified. Kuldeep Bishnoi, petitioner and the lone MP of Haryana Janhit Congress, through senior advocate Nidesh Gupta questioned the acquisition of huge tracts of agricultural land for setting up of

SEZs and alleged that the state government used the ruse of SEZ to acquire land and then de-notified them to allot the land to industries or create residential sectors. A bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and S K Singh, hearing a bunch of public interest litigations questioning similar agricultural land acquisition in other states, said the petitions could be appreciated better by the high courts of the states concerned. However, Gupta convinced the court that the SEZ policy is of national importance and an authoritative ruling from the apex court would prevent confusion, which could arise in case of conflicting opinion from the high courts. The bench accepted the argument and took up Bishnoi's case to ask the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government to provide details of the SEZs by the next date of hearing. Seven years ago, the court had issued notices to the Centre, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP governments on the PIL alleging that the proposals to set up 60-odd SEZs in the National Capital Region were in breach of law. Neither the Central SEZ Act nor the state legislations on special economic zones have taken into account the NCR Act, thus, rendering all of them violative of the constitutional mandate, the petition filed through Gupta stated while demanding that the land acquisitions be struck down and land be returned to farmers. (Times of India 24/1/14) Farmers losing fertile land for Modi’s flagship man ufacturing hub (4) DHOLERA (GUJARAT): The Gujarat government is acquiring 920 square km of land, most of it agricultural, of 15,000 farmer families spread across 22 villages for Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) project. Farmers have been served notice under the SIR Act, 2009, depriving them of 50 per cent of their land and allotting many of them saline plots where they say nothing can be grown. “The story is not about taking away half of our land. This is only half-truth. They are taking away the whole lot and then allotting 50 per cent of it in the coastal region,” Pradyumansinh Chudasma, a farmer in the region, told The Hindu. Chudasma owns 19 acres of fertile land at Bavaliyari but the entire holding is proposed to be taken over, and he has been allotted half of this in two separate plots, located in the coastal region. Farmers showed documents and maps to substantiate their claims. They also point out that the Bhal region, where Dholera falls, is known for its exportable wheat, which grows with just one watering session as against three in the rest of the State. The area also grows cumin. The Chief Executive Officer of Dholera SIR Development Authority, K.D. Chandnani, however, denied the farmers’ claims. “We are not acquiring a single inch of land of farmers,” he told this newspaper. The government’s action complied with the Gujarat SIR Act, 2009, which puts the entire SIR area under the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976, for developing infrastructure for the SIR, he said. “And the land allotment to them is based on town planning rules.” He said compensation could be given as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which mandates the government to pay four times the market rate and insists on assent from the village panchayat. “We do agree with the merits of the latest land acquisition law, but land pooling and land readjustment according to town planning schemes have been successful in Gujarat, and the local communities have already expressed their acceptability at various consultations in the past two years,” Mr. Chandnani said. However, farmers argued that their fertile land would be surrendered to industrialists and real estate developers. The notice, issued under Section 17(2) of the SIR Act, 2009, copies of which are with The Hindu, says they must report to the authorities on a given date and hand over possession of their land, and take the titles for the new land. If they fail to do so, the SIR authorities will have the right to evict them from their land. “What we get in the name of compensation would be the government rates as of 2011 and they are far below the market value today,” says Ramdevsinh Chudasma, who is losing half of his 80 acres. The Chief Minister’s plan is to develop the Dholera SIR as a global manufacturing and trading hub, an “engine for economic resurgence of the country,” backed by world-class infrastructure, according to the SIR website. Dholera, close to Bhavnagar district in Saurashtra and 100 km from Ahmedabad, was a flourishing port in the 18th century. The SIR project goals are to double employment potential, triple industrial output and quadruple exports from the region. (The Hindu 25/1/14)

Rules set to be framed for new land acquisition act (4) JAIPUR: The state government's revenue department is gearing up for framing rules for the new Land Acquisition Act that has come into force from January 1 this year. The new Bill, which replaced the 119-year-old obsolete legislation, proposes a unified policy for acquisition of land and adequate rehabilitation mechanism for all affected persons. The implementation of the new Act is a cumbersome process as a number of rules will have to be drafted both by the Centre and the states and also invites comment from stakeholders including industries, NGOs and civil society. The ministry of rural development that introduced the Bill and got it approved in both the Houses of Parliament would set up a rules committee at the central level and after that the state governments will follow the guidelines in framing rules. The Act has come into force from January 1, but it would be notified in April only. "The state government will have to set up committees for framing the rules and this would involve several departments. Several bodies will have to be set up and the state government will have to set up a state level Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation And resettlement Authority that would hear dispute arising out of acquisition," said Tapesh Panwar, principal secretary, revenue. The state government will also have to establish social impact assessment unit, a full-fledged office for rehabilitation and resettlement and also a state-level monitoring body. The new Act has given freedom to the states to complement it with their own laws as long as the provision of the original law were not diluted. The new Act only set up the bottom line for fair compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement and the state would be free to improve it, said Panwar. Panwar said there is a clause under which while acquiring land for the private companies the consent of 80% of the land owners will be required. He admitted that the consent of the 80% of the land owners and 70% consent of the landowners for public-private projects are cumbersome processes. The new Act proposes that up to four times the market value should be paid to farmers and landowners for land acquired in rural areas and two times the market value in urban areas. "In all such cases where notices under Section 4 and 6 were issued, the settlement of the compensation will be done according to the old Act and in such cases where the notices were not served to the land owners the compensation would be made under the new Act. The issue related to the land acquisition of 1,400 acres for the Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor(DMIC) in Alwar district and also for the ring road in Jaipur will be done under the new Act. But all this will be done only after the local rules are framed. (Times of India 29/1/14) CBI chargesheets reopen debate on Nandigram, Left c laims its stand vindicated (4) Kolkata: Two chargesheets filed by the CBI on the Nandigram police firings, which took place on March 14, 2007, have reopened the debate on an issue which was considered a turning point in West Bengal's polity, handing the Trinamool Congress an opportunity to pillory the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government, which was ruling the state then. The chargesheets, filed earlier this month at a Haldia court, have given the CPM ammunition to hit back at chief minister Mamta Banerjee. They, the CPM claims, nail Trinamool's lie that the firings were ordered by the then chief minister, who was accused of masterminding a genocide. The contents of the chargesheet have been accessed by NDTV. The firings claimed the lives of 14 people. Eleven persons were killed at Bhangabera, and three at Malpara. The CBI chargesheets make it clear that police was forced to move into Nandigram to lift the over two month long blockade organized by the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee, an organization floated to oppose the setting up of a SEZ in Nandigram. When the police reached Bhangabera and Malpara on March 14, they ran into thousands of villagers, many of whom were equipped with lathis, stones and even firearms. The police lobbed teargas shells, rubber bullets and blanks at them before taking recourse to firing. An executive magistrate was present when the police action started at Bhangabera. No such official was available at Malpara. The CPM has used the chargesheets to retaliate at the Trinamool Congress. "The allegation that the instruction was given by the chief minister to go for firing is baseless... that has been vindicated by the CBI chargesheet,'' says CPM's Surya Kanta Mishra. The Trinamool, however, remains unfazed. "I don't know about the chargesheets. What I know was there was a genocide at Nandigram and

the then chief minister had taken responsibility and also said they have been paid back in their own coin," said Trinamool MP Mukul Roy.(NDTV 30/1/14) WB to withdraw cases against Singur, Nandigram acti vists (4) Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee government which catapulted to power because of the Singur and Nandigram agitations, on Friday decided to withdraw cases filed by the previous Left Front regime against activists there, including a present minister. "Of the cases filed by the previous Left Front government against activists in Singur and Nandigram, the state government has decided to withdraw cases against 302 in Nandigram and 122 in Singur," Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee told reporters here. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It came a day after she hit out at the CBI for apparently giving a clean chit to the erstwhile Left Front government in the Nandigram police firing which had claimed 14 lives in 2007. Those against whom the government has decided to withdraw cases include Trinamool Congress MLA from Singur and Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rabindranath Bhattacherjee. The MLA, a retired headmaster, played a role in the anti-land acquisition movement spearheaded by Banerjee at Singur which saw the Tatas exit their Nano car project. Mukherjee said there were a number of applications by activists seeking withdrawal of cases against them which they said were filed vindictively. (Zee News 31/1/14) ‘New Act ensures rehabilitation and resettlement of land-losers’ (4) Gulbarga: Rashmy Nair, associate professor, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, and retired judge I.S. Antin of the Karnataka Judicial Academy have said that with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which replaced the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the rehabilitation and resettlement of land-losers has been made mandatory by the government and the agencies to whom the land is allotted. Speaking at a one-day workshop on the new Act, organised by the Administrative Training Institute here on Monday for Revenue officials and special land acquisition officers, Dr. Nair and Mr. Antin said that other countries such as China had included provision for rehabilitation and resettlement of land-losers long ago, but India had lagged behind in providing justice to land-losers. Mr. Antin said the old Act only had provision for fair compensation for land-losers, but the new Act assured rehabilitation and resettlement of land-losers. The Social Impact Assessment Committees, which have been made mandatory at the district-level, have been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the provision in a transparent and effective manner. Dr. Nair, in her address, said that more than 6.6 crore people were displaced after 1974 due to acquisition of their lands for different projects by the government. One of the reasons for the delay in taking up these projects was the absence of the rehabilitation and resettlement component. Several provisions that were pro land-losers were included in the Act. There were also strict provisions in case the land was not utilised for the purpose for which it was acquired within five years after the allotment. The land-losers would also get a higher price for their land and assured rehabilitation and resettlement of their displaced families. The payment of compensation should be made within the time frame fixed by the government and a provision of charging penal interest for the non-payment of compensation has been included in the Act. Dr. Nair said that for agricultural land acquired, the government would have to pay Rs. 2,000 per month for 20 years as compensation apart from the usual compensation paid for the land acquired. For tribal people, monthly compensation has been fixed at Rs. 3,000. In urban areas, if the acquired land was used for urbanisation purposes, 20 per cent of the developed land should be allotted to the land-loser compulsorily as per the Act, Dr. Nair said. Deputy Commissioner N.V. Prasad inaugurated the workshop. (The Hindu 4/2/14) Jokatte villagers fume over sulphur, coke units at MSEZ (4) Mangalore: Demanding the scrapping of the “polluting” Sulphur and Coke units at the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), several villagers from Jokatte and surrounding areas staged a day-long block of

the road leading to the industrial area here on Tuesday. A huge line of loading trucks lined the roads leading to the entrance of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Limited (MRPL) Phase III plant, where the protestors – gathering under the banners of the Jokatte Citizens’ Committee and Popular Front of India – had camped themselves. Though the plants are nearing completion – in fact, the Sulphur plant is awaiting approval for commissioning – villagers said they were intensifying their protests now as they had “gotten to know the nature of the plants only now”. B.S. Sharief, former president of the Jokatte Gram Panchayat, estimated that around 2,000 households nearby were affected by the construction activities. The residents demanded that the construction stop before the district administration or MRPL authorities start negotiations for them. The protestors claimed that the plant had received not approval from either environmental agencies or from the Jokatte Gram Panchayat. The villagers said, “We have given a lot of our land to the companies coming up in MSEZ. The least they can do is ensure the villages next to theirs have basic amenities. Even under their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), MRPL has not done anything for Jokatte,” said Mr. Sharief. Senior officials of MRPL have said environmental laws “made it mandatory” to remove sulphur from diesel and other petroleum products. “There is nothing new in the sulphur plant at Phase III. We already have three such plants in Phase I and we have not received particular emission complaints about them…the sulphur is in solid form and can be handled with care,” he said. The coke plant produces lumped coal that can be transported in covered trucks, he said. The company claimed nearly Rs. 1.52 crore has been spent on asphalting roads, Rs. 5 lakh for an anganwadi, and Rs. 5.2 lakh for scholarships and environmental campaigns at government schools in the area. (The Hindu 5/2/14) Land Acquisition Act triggers row in IDA, farmers d emand more (4) INDORE: The new Land Acquisition Act passed by Parliament in 2013 has opened a pandora's box and cast its shadow on ongoing projects of Indore Development Authority (IDA) as farmers who had earlier entered into land acquisition agreement are demanding higher compensation or cancellation of the agreement. Several farmers had entered into agreement with IDA over parting their land on Super Corridor for upcoming projects. IDA is in a fix as state government has not spelt out rules under the Land Acquisition Act in the state. "The Act was passed by Parliament and now it is a law but rules are to be formulated by state government. Till now rules have not been formed and we have no clear guideline on how to deal with farmers," said Lalwani. He admitted that new land acquisition act has affected IDA and it will take some time to asses the impact of new law. On Wednesday farmers of villages including Bangarda, Palakhedi, Limbodagiri, Bhawrasal and Tigria Badshah who had given their land for scheme No. 176 on Super Corridor reached IDA office and registered their objection. Most farmers came with their lawyers and insisted on getting compensation accordance with the new act.Depalpur MLA Manoj Patel, who had come along with farmers, said there are many issues related to farmers and they have come to discuss it with IDA board. He stressed that interest of the farmers will be safeguarded. Kamal Nandwani of Palakhedi whose land is coming under scheme No. 176 said, "I don't want to give land for the project as it is my only source of income." Nandwani, however said he has no problem in parting with land if he gets compensation as per the new law. Similarly Manoj Radhakrishna and Rekha Gopal said they are willing to give a portion of their land for construction of road but they are not willing to part with remaining agricultural land. (Times of India 6/2/14) Land Losers Demand Hike in Compensation Package (4) PARADIP: Hundreds of land losers for the proposed industries on the outskirts of the town under the banner of Ban Bihari Krushak Ekata Manch (BBKEM) have vowed to intensify the agitation if their demands including hike in the compensation for land are not fulfilled in 15 days. They demanded that compensation should be fixed at `50 lakh per acre. Harekrushna Pradhan and Balkrishna Jena, leaders of the Manch, alleged that Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has acquired thousands of acres of land in Siju and Rangiagarh revenue villages for different industries. But villagers

are ignorant about the industries. While IDCO acquired land at throwaway price, it sold those to the industries at higher price. IDCO has acquired nearly 300 acres of land in Siju village for oil refinery project while Deepak Fertilizers Limited has acquired nearly 10 acres in Bagdia for its project at Paradip. Land valuation in the two villages has not been revised for the last 83 years. IDCO acquired land at old rate for which the farmers sustained loss of lakhs of rupees, the leaders claimed. The Manch members had staged a demonstration in front of Kujang tehsil office in 2011 to press their 15-point charter of demands including hike in the rate of compensation, employment to locals in the projects, rehabilitation packages and other benefits. (New Indian Express 7/2/14) New law will alleviate land acquisition woes (4) BANGALORE: Land acquisition for infrastructure or industrial development projects is likely to become a smoother and more rewarding process, with the new land acquisition law coming into force. But there are also apprehensions in the infrastructure sector that several projects, especially in Bangalore, may run into cost escalation and execution delays, owing to increased compensation costs. The new law -- The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 -- is guided by stricter norms and higher compensation for land owners. Under the new Act, government agencies need to get the consent of 70% of land owners in case of public-private partnership projects, and then pay them double the compensation (twice more than the market value). It also mandates effective rehabilitation and resettlement measures. "The new law will definitely escalate the project cost. But I don't think it will cause any execution delays in projects like the Metro or peripheral road. If people find the compensation package a fair deal, chances of disputes will be relatively few and there'll be less opposition too. But the causes of delay for public sector projects could be others," said Narendar Pani, professor and dean, School of Social Sciences, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. Infrastructure agencies are bracing up for the consequences of the new law. While BMRC plans to acquire about 100 hectares of land for Phase 2 of Namma Metro, the BDA has proposed to acquire 1,900 acres for its 65-km, 75-m wide peripheral ring road (PRR) project to connect Tumkur Road and Hosur Road, and develop new layouts by acquiring over 50,000 acres. BDA commissioner T Sham Bhat said: "The new rules will complicate the land acquisition process and could delay projects, but we have no option." BMRC, however, has already woken up to the new challenge by modifying some of its plans to minimize acquisition of land while executing Phase 2 of the Metro. It estimates that about 1,000 properties spread over 100 hectares of land will be required for the 72-km project. "Acquisition will be restricted to land required for viaducts and stations alone. We also plan to construct two-level elevated stations instead of the three-level stations constructed on Phase 1. Reduction in the number of floors will not only cut down project costs, but also require lesser land. The ground floor will be sufficient to house passenger amenities and concourse facilities," said a BMRC official, unveiling new plans. BMRC managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola said: "We've decided to acquire less than 100 hectares for Phase 2 under the prescribed norms of the new Act. We'll try and ensure that the project is completed within the deadline." (Times of India 11/2/14) HC sets aside Kadapa land acquisition notification (4) HYDERABAD: Justice A V Sesha Sai of the AP High Court has set aside a notification issued by the district collector of Kadapa to acquire 119-acre land for providing house sites to weaker sections under Indiramma scheme. Kondireddy Venkatasubba Reddy and others, all of whom are small farmers of Yerraguntla mandal of the district, challenged the land acquisition notification issued by the collector on August 19, 2008. According to the petitioners, when the revenue divisional officer conducted an enquiry under the Act to acquire the land, they raised objections saying that that they would be deprived of their livelihood if small holdings were acquired for the scheme. They urged the authorities to acquire alternate land available in the mandal. They said that the collector had passed the award of compensation ignoring their objections and without issuing a notice to them. The judge observed that "In my opinion, the whole

approach of the collector is totally unsatisfactory. The proposed acquisition of the petitioners' land is to provide house sites for weaker sections. The fact that the petitioners are small farmers, I find no justification to acquire the land of small farmers for providing house sites to the so-called weaker sections." While setting aside the land acquisition proceedings of the collector, the judge directed the authorities to hold 5 (A) enquiry as mandated by the land acquisition Act after giving notice and opportunity of being heard to the petitioners and to proceed in accordance with law. Till such exercise is undertaken and finalised, status quo on the land shall be maintained by both the state and the private parties, the judge said. (Times of India 12/2/14) Landowners lament commercialization of public servi ce (4) VADODARA: When chief minister and BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi inaugurates the swanky state transport (ST) depot complex on Friday, one family in Vadodara won't be celebrating. The family members, who owned the land on which the ST depot complex has come up in Sayajigunj, expressed sadness over the project and said that the depot was built on the woes of the family. Nikitin Contractor, whose grandfather owned the land, told TOI that the acquisition was made to serve public and not earn profits. "The Congress government took away our land forcibly in 1960 under the Land Acquisition Act 1894 and offered just Rs two lakh. My grandfather Pirozshah Contractor challenged the government compensation amount and the case went on for 26 years. We had to face so many difficulties during the legal process," Nikitin, who is convenor of Friends of Israel, Vadodara, recalled. "The lower court ordered the ST Corporation to pay Rs 14 lakh towards compensation but they challenged it in the Gujarat high court. The HC fixed up compensation amount to Rs 9 lakh but the case went to Supreme Court. We finally got Rs 8 lakh in 1988 but my grandfather and father had died by then," Nikitin said. "Our land was used by the ST Corporation for near three decades without paying any money. This was all done by the then government in the name of public purpose, but the corporation faced massive losses. And now the government will earn profits from the public-private model. I am fine with the development, but it shouldn't be done by snatching away properties," he said. (Times of India 13/2/14) BSF acquiring 191 acres of land for border fencing (4) Jammu: BSF is acquiring 191 acres of land for construction of three-tier border fencing along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu frontier of the state. "Out of the total land measuring 10408 kanals (1301 acres) in 118 villages of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, an area measuring 1599 kanals (191 acres) is being acquired by BSF for fencing in 17 villages of Hiranagar constituency of Kathua district along International Border", Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Aijaz Ahmed Khan said. In a written reply to the question of member Durga Dass in the state Assembly today, he said acquisition proceedings under J&K Land Acquisition Act have been initiated. As the cases are at different stages of acquisition, no compensation has so far been provided to the land owners whose land has come under the border fencing in Jammu division, he said. Khan said compensation will be paid after issuance of final awards with regard to completion of acquisition proceedings.(Zee News 16/2/14) Locals Burn 6 Containers Being Used as Posco Office (4) Pradip: Alleging delay in fulfilment of their demands, locals in Posco's proposed steel project area today burnt six containers being used as camp office and damaged a portion of company's boundary wall in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, police said. "Angry villagers have burnt some steel containers and damaged a portion of Posco's boundary wall near Nuagaon," Additional Superintendent of Police Paradip, Madabananda Sahu said. The South Korean steel major had kept at least seven such mobile containers fitted with state-of-the-art electrical and electronic equipment for use as camp office by officials of Posco and IDCO in its proposed project site near Nuagaon. The electrical and electronic equipment and official documents kept in six of the seven containers were gutted, the sources said, adding tension prevailed in the area. The locals are alleging delay in fulfilment of their charter of demands including holding of

Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) meeting and implementation of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The project protagonists held a meeting at Nuagaon yesterday and decided not to allow anyone from Posco, district administration or the police into the area in connection with the company work. They have even erected a bamboo gate at the entrance to Nuagaon to prevent entry of anyone from today. Villagers alleged that the company was constructing the boundary wall in the area without fulfilling their demands. Besides, it was hampering peace and brotherhood in the area by luring a few youths to cooperate with them, they said. Meanwhile, people who had extended their cooperation to help the company undertake infrastructure development work in the area were now up in arms against the company's move even as those opposing the project were keenly watching the developments. Lingraj, an activist who took part in the agitation against Posco, will lead AAP's challenge for the Bargarh seat in Odisha.(Outlook 17/2/14) In bid to push industry, Tamil Nadu breaks hearts o f land-losers (4) CHENNAI: Acquisition of land for dalit welfare, state highway and industrial projects in Tamil Nadu was on Thursday exempted from the purview of a central law that provided for a compensation of up to four times the market value of the land, dealing a blow to hundreds of people whose properties are being taken over for various projects across the state. The state government passed a legislation to circumvent the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, enacted by the Centre last year. The state bill, aimed at facilitating speedy land acquisition for many ongoing projects, has a one-year validity. The central act had a provision for states to enact such legislations for a limited period of one year. "The bill passed in the state legislature has far-reaching consequences as the government is planning to acquire about 53,000 acres for industrial purpose alone, primarily to set up industrial estates," CPM MLA K Balakrishnan told TOI. Balakrishnan had raised objections when the bill was tabled in the assembly by revenue minister B V Ramanaa. It was, however, passed with a voice vote. All those who have lost land to Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and have been fighting battles for many years for a fair compensation may also be hit by the legislation, fear farmers. The land owners would have got a hefty compensation if the settlement was done as per the provisions of the central act. Even while exempting land acquisition for 13 purposes like atomic energy, railways, tramway, ancient monuments, petroleum and minerals pipelines, and metro rail from the purview of the new land acquisition act, the Centre had refused to give any such privilege to industrial projects, Balakrishnan said. By exempting acquisition of land for industrial purposes from the purview of the central act, the government has done grave injustice to the farming community, he said. The central legislation, which replaced more than a century-old Land Acquisition Act of 1894, provides for a minimum compensation of four times the market price in rural areas and two times in urban areas. Consent of 80% of land owners is required for purchasing land for private use and 70% in the case of public-private partnership projects. Moreover, a social impact assessment has to be carried out before the acquisition process starts. The land owners are eligible for rehabilitation and resettlement compensations like houses, a one-time allowance or jobs. The new rule will apply retrospectively to cases where compensation is yet to be paid, for instance the NLC case. The Centre is yet to frame rules for the act, though it has come into force on January 1 this year. "None of these protections are there for land owners while government acquires land for projects exempted from the ambit of the new act. When the government empowers itself to unilaterally decide on land acquisition, there is no guarantee that land owners will get a fair price. Most land acquisitions carried out by the Tamil Nadu government in the past have ended in legal battles because compensation offered measured up to hardly 10% of the market value," Balakrishnan told TOI. (Times of India 21/2/14) Maharashtra clears record payout to acquire land fo r new airport (4) MUMBAI: The state cabinet on Sunday finally put its seal on the record compensation package that it will offer to villagers to acquire their land for the development of the Navi Mumbai international airport. TOI

had first reported the offer on August 13 last year. Calling it "a much better offer than what the residents could get under the new central law on land acquisition", the state said the villagers would get back a plot measuring 22.5% of their original land, fully developed and in a non-Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), right next to the airport; they will also get an extra floor space index (FSI) of 2. The worth of the returned land—the original plots are in CRZ—will translate into Rs 16 crore per hectare. With this offer, which includes several other perks, the state expects to win over the six villages, which have been holding back their land as they were unhappy with the compensation earlier offered to them. Those who do not accept the state government's package will be compensated according to the new Land Acquisition Act, which came into force in January. The central law allows 20% of the acquired land to be returned to project-affected persons. Kopar residents, whose land has been acquired for a landfill site, will not be compensated with the state package but for them, a separate deal will be worked out. The Konkan divisional commissioner will decide on it. With the cabinet's approval, the state has cleared a major hurdle to the construction of the airport. "This has come at the right time. If the compensation was not decided in the next three months, we would have had to begin the process of acquisition all over again under the new law and the project would have been as good as doomed," said a source, maintaining that the new package was "many times better" than what the central law offered. The cost of developing the land, which will be returned to villagers, will be borne by CIDCO, which is the developing agency of the new airport; under the central law, the cost is supposed to be borne by the affected persons themselves. Besides, those with tenements will be provided with houses three times the size. The compensatory land will be offered in a new township called, Pushpak Nagar, to be built along the Mumbai-Pune bypass near Panvel .The CIDCO has also been conducting various job-oriented courses for the PAPs. "A joint land survey is currently underway and the compensation will be awarded within the next two to three months. The new city is already being developed where the PAPs will be shifted within a year," said Sanjay Bhatia, managing director, CIDCO. (Times of India 24/2/14) Govt to set up committees to frame land acquisition rules (4) THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has decided to constitute two committees to frame as well as scrutinize the rules relating to the new Land Acquisition Act, 2013 of the Centre. Chief minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday that a state level monitoring committee and expert committee will be constituted to frame the relevant rules in connection with the new Act. The expert committee will include an officer who has retired as a special secretary or additional secretary from the law department, and another revenue official who had retired as deputy collector. The third member will be a lawyer who has deep knowledge in land acquisition laws. The recommendations and rules framed by the expert committee will be scrutinized and given final shape by a state level monitoring committee to be headed by the chief secretary. The members of the monitoring panel will include the additional chief secretary (finance), secretary (law) and secretary (revenue) and the land revenue commissioner, who will be the member secretary. All new land acquisition projects of the government will be covered by the new Act which will replace the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. The state is yet to frame any rules for the new Act that has come into force on January 1, without which the state will not be able to undertake any further land acquisitions. (Times of India 27/2/14)

Land Rights campaign launched in Madhya Pradesh (4) BHOPAL: Around 3.44 lakh landless dalits and adivasis were promised land as per Bhopal declaration in 2002. Of these, 2.5 lakh have not yet got possession of land. Also, under Forest Right Act (FRA, of the 4.81 lakh claims for land, around 2.9 lakh claims have been rejected by the district level committee without any proper grounds. Both these are gross violation of dalit and adivasi rights. To mobilise both the groups and to fight for their rights, a 'land-rights campaign' has been launched by voluntary organisation Jan Pahal which will culminate on March 8. This campaign is being simultaneously organised in 30

districts and 40 blocks. Awareness campaigns would be conducted through general meetings, wall painting, nukkad street theatre, interaction with media among others. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, convenor of Jan Pahal Rajkumar Sinha said, "On one hand the government makes tall claims about benefitting the downtrodden but on the other hand, Bhopal declaration and FRA haven't been implemented yet on the ground level." "Land has been allotted to the tribals and dalits. However, the government has failed to ensure that it is implemented. The land earmarked has been taken over by goons and landlords and the government is unable to ensure to do anything about it. This is utter administrative inefficacy and red tapism," he added. The 35-odd organisations are demanding that the reserved groups be provided with their rightful share of the land by the government on a priority basis. Besides, they should also be provided with compensation for all the years their possession of their land or patta hasn't been given. (Times of India 1/3/14) To widen roads, lives are squeezed (4) Kozhikode: M.T. Leela and her two aunts live between an expansionist highway and a railway track in Chorode near Vadakara. The three aged women and their crumbling house quiver every time a heavy vehicle or a train flash by. Leela’s husband T.V. Lakshmanan committed suicide a year ago. He was 72. His barber shop and 11 cents of his plot by the roadside were acquired 15 years ago for widening National Highway-17 to 30 metres. The family was paid Rs.9,000 for a cent as per the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. The family believed the officials when they said they would never return. But in 2008, they were back. This time, the highway would be widened further by 45 metres through a BOT (build, operate, and transfer) process. Acquisition for the new four-lane highway would claim the rest of Lakshmanan’s six cents and part of his house. There was no word about prior compensation or rehabilitation for the affected people. For Lakshmanan and his family, there was no place to go. Without his shop, there was no income. Lakshmanan could not withstand the second blow. He lost hope. “Towards the end, my husband would sit in a corner and clutch his head and cry. He used to say ‘They will never leave us alone and we cannot do anything about it’,” Leela said in short gasps as tears overwhelm her. So one afternoon, after apologising to Leela in a short note, Lakshmanan took his life by jumping into a well near his house. In Chorode, local people portray Lakshmanan’s story as that of a diminutive man crushed by the stampede of development. For many, with no compensation or rehabilitation in sight, the highway expansion is a dead end to their lives. In 1998-99, acquisition was completed for the 30-metre expansion of the NH-17. But local people joined hands to fight for better compensation. “In 2005, the Kerala High Court upheld a lower court’s decision to increase compensation by another Rs.7,000. A majority of the affected people did not want to leave the area. They bought plots and constructed houses further in. In 2008, the NHAI came knocking a second time. The same people were again affected. This time, they would lose all,” A.T. Mahesh, convenor, NH-17 Janakeeya Karma Samithi, said. A Right to Information reply from the NHAI’s Project Implementation Unit shows the total land to be acquired in Kozhikode is 133.22 hectares. The “affected structures”, as the response terms it, are 825 residential houses, 934 commercial buildings, 7 schools and 31 religious places of worship. On July 21, 2012, the local people drew up a compensation and rehabilitation package in consultation with the district administration and sent it to the State government. (The Hindu 1/3/14) 3 new SEZs proposed in state after two-year gap (4) GANDHINAGAR: Three new special economic zones (SEZs) have been proposed in Gujarat after a gap of almost two years, even as several developers are dropping their proposals. The Gujarat industry & mines department has given in principle clearance to the proposals worth Rs 483 crore and will soon propose it to the Government of India's SEZ Approval Board. Essar group-owned Vadinar Oil Terminal Limited has proposed a sector specific FTWZ (free trade and warehousing zones) on 47 hectares of land at Vadinar in Khambhaliya taluka of Jamanagar with an investment of Rs 156 crore. United Liner Agencies of India Pvt Ltd has proposed an SEZ FTWZ at Bharapar in Gandhidham taluka of Kutch. The

company plans development on 54.5 hectares of land with an investment of Rs 207 crore. The company has 29 hectares of land and has demanded additional land from the state revenue department. The third proposal is from Intermarket(India) Pvt Ltd for a sector specific Textile SEZ at Vatra block in Khambhat in Anand. The developer has proposed to invest around Rs 120 crore. The promoter possesses half of the land from required 50 hectares and negotiating for the remaining land from private owners. Kutch-based OPG Power Gujarat Pvt Ltd has also applied for change of sector specific power sector to engineering sector and also reduce the SEZ size from 104.72.24 hectares to 55.24 hectares. Ahmedabad-based City Gold Realities Pvt Ltd has also applied for denotification of their IT/ITES SEZ proposed at Sanathal in Sanand on 10.51 hectares of land. Another Ahmedabad reality major N G Reality Pvt Ltd has also applied for denotification of its 217-hectare engineering SEZ at Bavla and Sanand on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. At present, there are 57 SEZs in Gujarat, of which three are functional SEZs before enactment of Act, 12 are notified and functional SEZs, 17 are notified SEZs, 11 are formally approved SEZ projects and 14 have in principle approval projects. Around eight SEZs have applied or got approval for denotifiation or reduction in size or sector change. Proposed investment by the developer as well as units in SEZs in Gujarat (May 2013) are Rs 31433.56 crore, proposed employment is Rs 21.66 lakh and proposed area is 36869 hectares. (Times of India 5/3/14) Reprieve for EFL status for land below 2 hectares ( 4) THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state cabinet has decided to provide a reprieve in ecologically fragile land (EFL) status to those holding land up to two hectares. Land falling under such category which was taken over by the forest department will be returned to the original owners with immediate effect, said chief minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday. With this the government has decided to give back the land acquired (below two hectares) to the owners. If the land is found to be necessary for protecting the forest, then adequate compensation will be given to the owners, he added. Under EFL category, in cases of land acquired above two hectares and up to 15 acres, the owners will be compensated with two hectares of land. If this is not possible, adequate compensation will be given. If the land belonging to tribal people has been acquired, it will be given back. However, if their habitat is getting affected due to the EFL laws, then it will be resolved. "All aspects pertaining to acquisition of land in connection with EFL will be examined. If it is a pattayam land, it will be acquired only after giving appropriate compensation," said Chandy. Further land acquisition under EFL can only be done with the sanction of the government. The changes made by the state government to the EFL stipulations need to be ratified by the central government, he said. The government has decided in-principle to revive the Travancore Rayons in Perumbavoor which has remained closed for years. It will be handed over to KINFRA. After the appeal from the trade unions and workers, the government has decided to take over the land as part of the revival package, which also includes meeting the liabilities totalling to Rs 71 crore due to bank loans, salary dues, EPF, etc. It has been decided to give appointments to all candidates in the PSC list for the post of doctors in the health service. As many of the posts would remain vacant even after filling up vacancies, the government has decided to give extension of six months service to doctors who are retiring this month. As there are only limited schools for the education of SC/ ST students in the state, the government has decided to upgrade the lower primary school under Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha (PRDS) at Amara in Changanassery to upper primary. The government upper primary school at Mamalakandi in Kothamangalam (Ernakulam), having a predominance of tribals, will be upgraded to high school. It has also been decided to start three aided arts and science colleges for the SC/ST students at Kuriyottu Mala in Kollam under KPMS management, at Amara near Changanassery under PRDS and at Vandoor in Malappuram managed by Indira Gandhi Memorial Society. The cabinet also decided to provide reservation in admission to students of 30 backward communities. (Times of India 6/3/14) Vandalur Terminus Land Gets Pricey (4)

CHENNAI: The State’s plan to acquire 65.30 acres of land to construct a mofussil bus terminal in Vandalur has hit a roadblock with the Union government’s new Land Acquisition Act having come into force. Sources told Express that since notices were not issued under Section 4 (1) of the old Act, the State now has to follow the new one. The government had passed orders for acquiring the land in February without knowledge about the new act. Sources said this was a serious lapse on part of the officials who, without application of mind, drafted the Government Order. Now, the three GOs in this regard are likely to be cancelled. The new Act which replaced the 119-year-old legislation, proposes a unified policy for acquisition of land and adequate rehabilitation mechanism for all the affected persons. The State now has to start from the scratch and it will take time for the acquisition, as a number of rules will have to be drafted both by the Centre and the States, besides soliciting comments from stakeholders which include industries, NGOs and civil society. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) had prepared a `376 crore blueprint for construction of the mofussil bus terminus in Vandalur. This includes the proposed land cost at `1.75 crore per acre and the proposed development cost at `4 crore per acre, besides preparation of detailed project report. Also, 50 per cent of the funds is likely to be spent on infrastructure and amenities. Sources said that the cost now has to be reworked. The new Act proposes a compensation of four times the market value in rural areas and twice the market value in urban areas. It also states that acquisition of agricultural land and multi-crop land should be done only as a last resort. The Act states that there will be restrictions on the extent of acquisition of such lands in every State, which is to be determined by the State concerned. Interestingly, the site identified for the mofussil bus terminus is classified as wetland, and in a geographically strategic location in view of its proximity to NH45 (GST Road) and Outer Ring Road (ORR). The site abuts the Vandalur-Walajabad State Highway and is about 1 km from National Highway 45 and 250 metre from ORR. (New Indian Express 7/3/14) Odisha fixes Jan 1 as cut-off date for land prices under new law (4) Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to fix January 1, 2014, as the cut-off date to evaluate the benchmark value of land, the same day when the revised land acquisition law, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (RFCTLAR&R), 2013, came into effect. The date would be applicable for finalising rates of land acquisition cases initiated before 2014. The new law has provision that the prices of the land must be taken into account from the date of the issue of initial land acquisition notification. But in cases where land acquisition process has already been initiated and price finalisation notice has not been served by the end of December, 2013, there was no clear instruction as to which date to be considered as cutoff date as per the revised law. “The new act does not indicate any cut-off date for those cases already initiated under the old act. In such a situation, it would be most appropriate to accept the date of coming into force of the RFCTLAR&R, 2013, as the cut-off date for determination of market value of land in those land acquisition cases initiated prior to December 31, 2013,” said additional chief secretary (revenue) Tara Dutt in a circular to all collectors last month. The revised act provides for better compensation for private land to be acquired for government or private projects. It includes calculation of 12 per cent increase of land price every year from the date of price notice along with all other immovable property prices on the land such as trees and houses. Besides, the land losers will be entitled to receive 100 percent solatium making the effective the land price double of the value after considering all criteria to fix the rate. The government has asked the collectors to submit data for showing the inventory of land acquisition processes that has not been completed. Though the new act makes land acquisition process costlier, major projects would not be affected as the land acquisition process for these projects had started earlier. Land acquisition for steel projects of Posco, Essar, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Tata Steel and power projects such as Odisha Ultra Mega Power Project had begun couple of years back with several people already receiving compensation for their land. However, upcoming steel projects along with many coal mining projects could face the blow due to the new rates applicable as per the revised law. Several port

projects announced by the state government might also get hampered by the new land law, sources said. (Business Standard 11/3/14) Poll code hits land acquisition for Gannavaram airp ort’s expansion (4) VIJAYAWADA: The Gannavaram airport expansion process is likely to take some more time as the district administration is awaiting orders from the government for land acquisition. The payment of compensation could be a violation of model code of conduct hence the proposed acquisition may take some more time, according to officials. “The model code of conduct will not come in the way for land acquisition process. But, the payment of compensation will attract provisions of code,” said an official, who didn’t want to be identified. However, the official said that there shouldn’t be any problem in going ahead with acquisition process as the payment of compensation would come into picture at the end. The government would acquire little above 490 acres for the expansion . Notwithstanding, there is a talk in the villages that the government is likely to pay Rs. 35 lakh to Rs. 1 crore per acre. The government is proposing to acquire 243 acres at Buddhavaram, 133 acres at Kesarapalli and 115 acres at Ajjampudi villages. Initially, there was resistance from farmers towards acquisition but it subsided after assurance from officials that compensation will be paid according to the New Land Acquisition Act. The acquisition process is now suspended as the officials are yet to receive guidelines on payment of compensation and orders to go ahead with the acquisition. The district higher-ups are not willing to comment on the compensation to be paid to the farmers saying that they are yet to receive the guidelines on fixing the price. They, however, are quick to add that the compensation will be agreeable to the farmers who are giving their lands. The State government had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for expansion and development of the airport in 2007. As per the MoU, a modern passenger terminal building and hangers were to be built by 2009. The ILS and Automation of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) were some of the major developmental works taken up after the 2007. (The Hindu 16/3/14) Forum to create awareness on Gadgil panel report (4 ) Mangalore: A series of programmes to create awareness and gather support for the implementation of the Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report will begin in the district with a public discussion at Kudremukh National Park near Aladangady in Belthangady taluk on April 1. Suma Nagesh from Chikmagalur-based Save Democracy Forum told presspersons here on Monday that the programme would dispel myths about the report among forest-dwellers, while highlighting the “negative” aspects of the K. Kasturirangan Commission report that was commissioned to replace the Gadgil panel report. “The Gadgil panel report sought to comprehensively conserve the Western Ghats, which is a bio-diversity hotspot. The government conveniently used the Kasturirangan report to reject the Gadgil report. We have petitioned the President to reconsider the Gadgil committee report, while also creating awareness among the tribal people and forest-dwellers about the report,” said Mr. Nagesh, referring to a letter written to Pranab Mukherjee on March 15. He blamed vested interests, industrial lobbies, and political representatives for creating fear among farmers about displacement if the reports were implemented. “The only fear is that mining and industries will shut down. The Gadgil panel report clearly states that forest-dwellers were needed in conservation projects and it does not advocate for their displacement,” he said. The meet will also discuss the government’s “surreptitious attempts” at displacing tribal people from KNP, said Harish Malekudiya, a resident of Aladangady. “The government refuses to give us basic amenities, while attempting to lure us with money to leave our homes. We don’t want to shift elsewhere, but the government is making it difficult to stay on,” he said. Mr. Gadgil himself will address the Kudremukh forest-dwellers — some of whom are fighting against displacement — on April 1. Apart from him, activist S.R. Hiremath and writer Na. D’Souza, who had criticised the government on their “inactivity” over conserving the ghats, are expected to participate. The group will travel around the six States through which the Western Ghats traverses, and distribute materials and books in local languages

elaborating on the need to implement the WGEEP report. An integral part of the organisation’s demand is the scrapping of the Yettinahole project, which they called a hasty decision that endangers the ghats. (The Hindu 18/3/14) Navi Mumbai Airport: CIDCO might start land acquisi tion afresh (4) Mumbai: The state-run City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), nodal agency for the Navi Mumbai international airport, will have to start afresh the land acquisition process for 271 hectares under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2014, if the villagers opposing the acquisition fail to come on board. This is necessary as the validity of the notices served in phases under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, to the project affected persons (PAPs) in 2012 would be over in July. CIDCO would have to serve new notices for the acquisition of 271 hectares of private land from six of the 17 villages under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2014. PAPs from these villages are opposed to land acquisition and they have refused to accept the state government’s compensation package announced in November last year. According to the provisions of the new act, land acquisition would be possible only after seeking approval from 70 per cent of the PAPs. Besides, under the new act, the compensation to PAPs would be four times of the prevailing market rate. Of the total area of 2,268 hectares proposed for the aeronautical and non-aeronautical works, 1,572 hectares is already in CIDCO’s possession. Of the 2,268 hectares, the core airport area would be 1,160 hectares. Despite several rounds of negotiations with villagers, CIDCO is yet to acquire 271 hectares required for the core airport area. PAPs last week held marathon meeting with the Cidco management reiterating their opposition for land acquisition and the compensation package. Cidco on February 5 has floated request for qualification and the bidders will have to submit it till June 18 this year. Cidco vice chairman and managing director Sanjay Bhatia told Business Standard ''Our efforts are on to convince the PAPs that the compensation offered by the state government is quite higher than what they will get as per the provisions of new act. As per the government package, PAPs will get 22.5 per cent of developed land for every hectare of land acquired. They will be provided one floor space index (FSI) for 12.5 per cent of developed land and 2.5 FSI for another 10 per cent. Further, the PAPs would get three times more land to the current residential plot they occupy.'' Bhatia reiterated that government's compensation is at a higher side. However, he clarified that PAPs have an option to go for compensation under the new act. Bhatia said that Cidco is currently engaged in the joint surveys of the villages and hoped that it will be in a position to acquire 271 hectare by end of July. Mahendra Patil, sarpanch of Pargaon, one of the village from where the land acquisition is yet to be done, indicated that the villagers are not in a mood to relent but continue their opposition to the Navi Mumbai international airport. He informed that retired judges PB Sawant and BG Kolse Patil have extended their support to their cause. (Business Standard 23/3/14) 'Development on Posco Project Only After Polls' (4) BANGALORE: Clearing the uncertainty around the Rs 52,000 crore 12 mtpa (million tonnes per annum) steel plant in Odisha, South Korean mining major Posco has said that any progress on the project will be likely taken up only after upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The company evinced their interest to set up the plant in June 2005 and said that they required 4000 acres of land for the same in Jagatsinghpur. Over 1700 acres of land has been transferred so far and the company is awaiting the transfer of 1000 acres of land as they need a total of 2700 acres for the first phase of the project. The company had announced to scrap their Rs 30,000 crore, 6 mtpa plant in Karnataka last year after local opposition and delays in clearances and land acquisition. Agencies reported that the state government is not likely to transfer land to the company before the general elections to be held from April-May 2014. The first phase of the project will commence operations in 2018 and the next two phases will commence operations within three years of every phase. The steel project had received initial clearance from the Environment Ministry in 2007 and final approval was granted in 2011. (New Indian Express 24/3/14)

25-acre Tata Steel land fetches 1,100 crore bid (4) MUMBAI: One of the biggest parcels of land in Mumbai, the 25-acre Tata Steel land in Borivli (E) is believed to have fetched the highest bid of Rs 1,155 crore following a day-long e-auction on Monday. It is rumoured that Oberoi Realty may be the highest bidder. But a Tata Housing source said, "We are still in the race. The bidder hasn't been finalized yet. We understand the process is still going on." Tata Steel declined to comment on the status of the transaction. Others in the race are Lodha Group, Oberoi Realty, Kalpataru, Peninsula Land and Indiabulls. Lodha stretched its final offer till Rs 1,150 crore before giving up, said sources. The reserve price was fixed at Rs 750 crore when the e-auction began at 11pm. Developers kept on increasing their bids by Rs 5 crore till it reached the final Rs 1,155 crore around 7pm. The auction was coordinated by global property consultant Knight Frank; its India chairman Shishir Baijal declined to comment. The land close to the Western Express Highway has a development potential of 28 lakh sq ft or 40 lakh sq ft in case the developer submits a proposal for parking FSI. Property rates in Borivli are currently in the range of Rs 13,000 a sq ft."The land will be developed for residential purposes," said a source. Tata Steel has put the onus of procuring regulatory permissions and clearances on the winning bidder, and that too, within three months of the deal being sealed. Of the total 1 lakh sq-m sprawl, an estimated 29,130 sq m is "Sanad" land, acquired under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Tata Steel wants the winning bidder to obtain permission for sale of this portion from the collector's office and an NOC from the Labour Authority within three months. The winning bidder will have to pay around Rs 150 crore to the collector as unearned income for this portion. "In case, the highest bidder is unable to obtain the approvals, the MoU shall automatically stand cancelled and participation deposit and earnest money deposit (Rs 20 crore) shall be forfeited," said the information memorandum prepared by Knight Frank. "The balance consideration paid at the time of signing MoU shall be returned to the highest bidder along with interest etc," he added. The Tata Steel document said only developers who have completed 2 million sq ft in the last three years and have a net worth of Rs 200 crore can participate. The successful developer has to pay 10% of the bid amount within two days of signing the letter of intent. The balance 90% has to be paid within a month of signing of the MOU. (Times of India 25/3/14)

‘Court order on Land Act draws clear lines on imple mentation’ (4) New Delhi: Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the Supreme Court judgement upholding the retrospective clause of the new Land Acquisition Act has drawn “clear and humane lines” for the implementation of a significant clause in the law. He said that the March 14 judgement by a two-judge Supreme Court bench deals with land acquisition which had been pending for over the prescribed five year period (in the retrospective clause – Section 24). “In this case, the award was passed in 1995 and the parties had still not accepted compensation or parted with possession. In the light of this, the Supreme Court, relying on the retrospective clause, ordered the return of the land to the original owners,” the Minister said in a release here. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, enacted by Parliament in September last year to provide just and fair compensation to those whose land is taken away for constructing roads, buildings or factories, came into force on January 1, replacing the 120-year-old legislation. Ramesh also said the Supreme Court had passed a similar judgement on the new law on February 2. “This judgement also relates to the operation and interpretation of Section 24 – the retrospective clause. The learned bench overturned a 2004 judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (which had upheld a long pending acquisition) and quashed the quashed the acquisition, returning the land to the original owners,” he said. Welcoming the judgements, the Minister said, “This demonstrates the Hon’ble Supreme Court has drawn clear and humane lines for the implementation of a very significant clause in the law.” “These add to the growing list of important precedents which will have a far-reaching impact on those who have suffered

historically from arbitrary acquisitions and give life to the intention behind the new law,” he said. (Business Line 1/4/14) Probe allotment of land to metro rail: Country club to high court (4) HYDERABAD: The Country Club of India Limited (CCIL) on Thursday said it would move the high court seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in land allotment to the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. CCIL was responding to a notice by Hyderabad Metro Rail Limted (HMRL) to partially demolish their corporate office in Begumpet. Addressing the media, club chairman Rajeev Reddy said the move was illegal as the HMRL had given a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the office. HMRL was going ahead with the demolition process despite the high court staying the construction on the premises of the CCIL, he said. "The CCIL had spared over 1700 sq yards for the Metro Rail project in 2006, following which the HMRL issued an NOC to build the corporate office. We built the office only after receiving the NOC. But now the HMRL has issued a notice to partially demolish the building," Rajeev Reddy said. Apart from CCIL, buildings including White House, Lifestyle and Varun Motors face the threat of demolition . Charging HMRL with deviating from norms and changing the alignment of the project to save properties of some vested interests at the cost of the traders in Begumpet, Reddy said there were irregularities in the land acquisition and allotment. "I see vested interests of real estate sector behind the move. We will request the High Court to order a CBI probe into it," Rajeev said. (Times of India 4/4/14) Over 300 hectares land lying vacant in SEZs in Odis ha (4) Bhubaneswar: More than 300 hectares (ha) of land are still lying vacant within the processing area of some of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Odisha. Aditya Birla Group owned Hindalco Industries Ltd, Saraf Agencies and stateowned Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco)are the developers yet to utilise full land within their notifiedSEZs. In Hindalco’s aluminium products SEZ at Lapanga near Sambalpur, 115.70ha land is lying vacant. Saraf Agencies is yet to utilize 105.20 ha for its mineral products SEZ at Chhatrapur in Ganjam district. The Kolkata-based developer had proposed to set up a titanium dioxide plant, committing an investment of Rs 1,200 crore. In the first phase, the company had decided to produce 10,000 tonne per annum (tpa) of high titanium slag and 6,000tpa of high purity pig iron. Similarly, Idco has used 20.44 ha out of a notified area of 106.26 ha within the IT SEZ at Jatni in Khurda district. According to data compiled by the Board of Approvals of SEZ under Union commerce ministry, developers like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)and Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) have achieved full utilization of land in their notified SEZs in Odisha. TCS has set up a software development centre in Bhubaneswar that has been notified as an SEZ. VAL’s1.25 million tonne per annum (mtpa) aluminium smelter at Jharsuguda set up as a sector specific Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jharsugudais lying idle presently for want of power. Due to non-finalisation of its SEZ policy by the Odisha government, VAL was unable to avail SEZ benefits. The ministry’s data reveals out of 47,803.77 ha area notified in seven SEZ zones- Cochin, Madras, Noida, Vishakhaptnam, Kandla, Falta and Santacruz Electronics Exports Processing Zone, 21,310.03 ha is lying vacant in the processing area. (Business Standard 4/4/14) Settle Posco ore lease issue: Centre to Odisha (4) NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked the Odisha government to resolve without delay the issue of giving iron ore lease to Posco's Rs 52,000crore steel project, the largest ever FDI in India. The development comes in the wake of a high-level panel's meeting last month. The committee was formed to address issues impeding mega projects in the steel sector. The South Korean steel player's plans to set up a 12-million tonne steel plant at Jagatsinghpur entailing an investment of Rs 52,000 crore has been stuck for the past eight years due to regulatory hurdles and delays in land acquisition. In May last year, the SC had set aside an Odisha HC order that quashed the state decision to allot iron ore licence to Posco in Khandadhar hills. "The SC judgment on the matter should be initial point for finding the way forward to

resolve the issue. The state government in consultation with the ministry of mines should discuss and settle the matter without further delay," steel secretary G Mohan Kumar, who chairs the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG), has conveyed to the Odisha government. (Times of India 7/4/14) Five Haryana villages may boycott elections (4) Gurgaon: Even as the curtains were drawn on campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana slated for April 10 on Tuesday, the residents of five villages whose several hundred acres were acquired for setting up of a Special Economic Zone by Reliance India Limited are yet to make up their mind on whether to exercise their franchise or not. While one of the villages, Gadoli Khurd, has largely decided to boycott the election as a mark of protest, the remaining four want to exercise their right to vote. Over 1,300-acre belonging to five villages--Gharoli Khurd, Harsaru, Mohammadpur, Khandsa and Narsinghpur—was acquired by the Haryana Government in 2006 for setting up SEZ and handed over to Reliance. Though several hundred families across the five villages were affected due to land acquisition, Ghadoli Khurd bore the brunt with the RIL building over seven-foot wall around the village cutting it off from the neighbouring villages. “The process of land acquisition was initiated by the Chautala government and completed by the Hooda government. So who should we vote for? We cannot even vote for BJP’s Rao Inderjit Singh, who was in the Congress till weeks before the election and did nothing to help us while being our MP. And voting for AAP is sheer wastage. We have, therefore, decided at a panchayat meeting to boycott the election,” said Kamal Singh, whose 38 acres were acquired. Gharoli Khurd-resident Ram Kumar, a former panchayat member, said the land acquisition has rendered many jobless. “Neither did we get enough compensation nor the promised jobs. Our village is worst affected with a boundary wall around it and foul-smelling drains flowing on both sides.” (The Hindu 9/4/14) Land row biggest hurdle in path to growth (4) RANCHI: For a decade, the slogan "jaan denge par zameen nahin denge' (we will sacrifice our lives but not give up our land)" has been echoing in rural Jharkhand. Tribals, who were for years dislodged from their traditional habitats after industries, mostly from the public sector, acquired their land at cheap rates, have swung to the other extreme. With no jobs or alternate sources of livelihood, they are now up in arms against companies, both public and private, looking for land to set up their projects. Locals are demanding answers from politicians trawling their villages for votes. The people displaced by Bokaro Steel Ltd (BSL), which acquired land in the area in 1958, recently forced supporters of Samresh Singh, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (P) candidate from Dhanbad constituency, to beat a hasty retreat from Kandauri village after they pelted stones on them and their vehicles. Accusing politicians of not keeping their word, the displaced people have resolved not to allow any candidate inside the villages. Players in the private sectors, however, lament that though some cases of protests are genuine, unrest is also being fuelled by other factors - including the involvement of local leaders with vested interests who twist the situation to their advantage. "During elections or other economic demands, these people try to use industries. With such kind of governance, it is difficult to set up any industry here,'' said a senior official with a private company. Not surprising then that the state, home to more than 40% of the country's mineral reserves, is still one of the most laggard and backward in the nation. Thousands of its villagers migrate to other states in search of work. As people are battling insurgency and gang wars in rural areas, it has also inspired Bollywood potboilers like 'Kala Patthar' and 'Gangs of Wasseypur'. A massive displacement of people took place when Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), SAIL's Bokaro Steel Ltd and a couple of more projects in Tenughat and Masanjhore of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) - Jawaharlal Nehru's dream projects - came up between 1958 and 1991. More than three lakh people, 40% of whom were tribals, were displaced, according to a survey. Over the last decade, however, several development projects - barring those of the Railway or National Highway Authority of India -have been stalled due to protests over land acquisition. The notable few among such projects are NHPC's Koel Karo project and the Netarhat field firing project. More recently, the proposed land acquisition for setting up an

Indian Institute of Management in Ranchi had to be shelved due to stiff resistance from land holders. "Agitations are perennial here, though BSL's policy on compensation is clear," said BSL chief executive officer Anutosh Maitra. Books of the PSU indicate there were originally 13,000-odd displaced people and BSL provided jobs to 16,000. Raghunath Mahato, leading a faction of the displaced people, said: "There are 20,000 people who have not been provided jobs or compensation by the company.''BSL chief of communications Sanjay Tiwari said BSL has welcomed such claims, provided they were supported by original documents. "Compensation and jobs were given to the original land-holders, but as the families split the number also rose," he said. ''Land acquisition is the biggest hurdle on the path to industrialization and development. The Coal-bearing Areas Acquisition and Development (CBA) Act, Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act etc have various complexities involved. Growth is not being linked to the peripheries and has not been integrated. The literacy rate in the the periphery areas of Tata Steel, which is a 100-year-old company, was below 40% in 2001,'' said economist Ramesh Sharan. More than 70 memoranda of understanding (MoU) have been signed between the state government and big ticket companies, including ArcelorMittal, but only a handful have seen the light of day and those which have are struggling for existence. "Mittal wanted to take a huge chunk of land in Torpa without offering proper compensation to the land holders, for which it never got the land,'' Sharan said. (Times of India 10/4/14) Rs. 495 crore land acquisition proposal for Masula port (4) MACHILIPATNAM: Krishna district Collector M. Raghunandan Rao has submitted a report relating to the land acquisition for the deep water port project at Machilipatnam to the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta and the State government. It would cost about Rs .495 crore to acquire the land. According to the report, the total land to be acquired for the project was 5,277 acres, including 937 unsurveyed land and 2,489 acres of patta land in Machilipatnam mandal. The land is falling under the limits of Manginapudi, Tapasipudi, Gopuvanipalem, Karaagraharam, Chilakalapudi, Bandar East Revenue villages in Krishna district. It is estimated that over Rs. 43 crore is required for resettlement and rehabilitation of the 563 families. (The Hindu 15/4/14) New act makes land buy virtually impossible: DIPP ( 4) New Delhi: Stating that it had become "virtually impossible" to acquire land for construction of roads, ports and creating other infrastructure under the existing Land Acquisition Act, DIPP secretary Amitabh Kant on Wednesday stressed on the need for amending the Act. "Land acquisition for roads, ports and similar other economic activities has not been happening ever since the new Land Acquisition Act came into being," Kant said. "A number of road and port projects are stuck up on account of the Act and there is an urgent need to fast-track road and port projects, which can be possible when necessary amendments are made to it," he added. The new Land Acquisition Act to provide just and fair compensation to farmers came into force from January 1, 2014. The new law, passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, received assent of the President on September 27, 2013. The bill was brought as the archaic act of 1894 suffered from various shortcomings including silence on the issue of resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by acquisition of land. The Act makes mandatory the consent of 80% of people whose land is taken for private projects. In the case of Public-Private Partnership projects, the bill makes mandatory obtaining consent of 70% of the people whose land will be for acquired. Additional secretary in Cabinet Secretariat Anil Swarup said the projects monitoring group has cleared 152 mega projects with approximate investments worth Rs 5.3 lakh crore and many such other projects are in the pipeline for final clearances. Moreover, he said, the environment and forest ministry has agreed to entertain and accept online applications of mega industrial projects for according environment clearances from July 1, 2014. (Times of India 17/4/14) Bhadra victims' rehabilitation remains unfulfilled (4)

Narasimharajapura: With the construction of Bhadra dam, the forests, fertile land, road transportation, railway transportation and commercial establishments were sacrificed and the taluk centre, which had all the basic amenities, was turned to ruins and is now trying to get back to normalcy. The people who lost their homes and agricultural lands, were provided rehabilitation facilities in the nearby villages. A lot of opposition was seen in Shimoga district, against the rehabilitation of Bhadra victims. Hence, the rehabilitation did not come in papers and the ownership of the land was not handed over to the farmers of Tarikere, Lakkavalli and Shimoga regions, who were illiterate. Owing to the local people’s opposition and threats, many of the victims ended up in selling the land for lowest prices and many have been struggling for the ownership of the lands, due to lack of sanction from the government. The people also complain that they are fed up by the harassment of forest department officials, who have raised their objection over the sanctioning of the lands to the victims. The forest department is trying to evacuate the Bhadra victims by referring to the land records dating back to the period of the rulers of Mysore. The future of the victims hangs in balance as there are no proper evidences for the ownership of lands and on the either side, they are forced to evacuate the lands. In addition, the people are made to wander from pillar to post for the sanctioning of compensation and alternative lands. Ironically, the Chikmagalur and Shimoga district level officials are not aware of the whereabouts of Bhadra land acquisition department. Even there has been no answer for the RTI query submitted in this regard. The High Court has directed to treat the victims of projects with compassion and act responsibly. But, the government officials are not paying heed to this. Bhadra victims allege that the political parties are nowhere mentioning about Bhadra victims. Instead, they are busy in speaking in support of the land encroachers. They hold the negligent attitude of the elected representatives responsible for the pathetic condition of the illiterate and poor farmers of Malenadu region. The presently inundated area, which belonged to revenue and forest area has also been acquired for Bhadra dam. The non-inundated area was used by the Bhadra victims for building houses and for agriculture. Later, the land was transferred to the revenue department and the title deeds were distributed under form 50 and 53. But, recently, the forest department has maintained that the land is a minor forest land, according to the 1930 order of the Mysore government. The victims complain that th development is the conspiracy of the department to grab the lands of the victims. The land, declared as minor forest land in 1930, was acquired for Bhadra dam in 1960. The unused land was again received by the revenue department and was distributed to the victims. Strangely, the 1,672 hectare area was declared as minor forest land in 2008, considering the 1930 Mysore Act. There is a complaint that the Land Acquisition Act of 1960, has not been considered. The revenue department which is supposed to produce the proper records, is turning blind eyes, allege the victims. The farmers say that if the related government orders after 1930 are disposed, the government land encroachers, may get compensation. Also, the farmer community has demanded the government to reveal the existence of Bhadra land acquisition department. (Deccan herald 20/4/14) Delay in framing rules affects acquisition, says co llector (4) KOCHI: District collector M G Rajamanickam has admitted that land acquisition for Kochi metro has been affected due to the state government's failure in framing rules for the new land acquisition act introduced by the Union government this year. "The government is yet to frame rules for the new act and officials with the revenue department are confused as to the procedures to be followed during land acquisition. This has affected acquisition activities for the Kochi metro rail," the district collector said. DMRC's principal adviser E Sreedharan had recently expressed concern that the delay in land acquisition could affect Metro works. Recently, Kochi corporation mayor Tony Chammany had sought chief minister Oommen Chandy's intervention to ensure that the Metro work is completed on time. Sources said it had been almost a month since the revenue department made any progress in acquiring land for Kochi metro. The new act - known as the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act - came into force on January 1 and the state governments concerned were required to frame rules that will give clarity to the acquisition process by February 15, 2014.

According to the new act, prior consent from at least 70% of the affected landowners is required in order to acquire land for government endeavours, while it is 80% for private companies. Moreover, solatium of 200% on land value will have to be paid in addition to the land value in village areas. For urban areas, the solatium will be 100%. Another clause is that a complete social impact study and environmental impact assessment have to be carried out prior to acquisition. A total of 45 acres is yet to be acquired to construct viaducts and stations of Kochi Metro. According to the revenue department, around 80% of the land has been acquired and handed over to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). "In the cases in which the award has been passed before December, 31, the new act will not have any bearing. But in the remaining cases, the new act will be in force," Rajamanickam said. It is up to the law department to frame rules under the new act. "The issue has been brought to the attention of the revenue and law ministers. The government has given assurance that the rules will be framed by August," sources with the revenue department said. Even if the rules are framed, it will have to get the consent of the legislative assembly. So, for completing the entire procedures it will take at least four or five months. The chief minister had earlier suggested direct purchase of land for Metro rail bypassing the land acquisition route but a final decision on this is yet to come even after two-and-a-half months. (Times of India 23/4/14) Adani Group got land at cheapest rates in Modi's Gu jarat (4) Ahmedabad: The rates at which the Gautam Adani-promoted Adani Group bagged land from the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government for its port and special economic zone (SEZ) project — between Re 1 and Rs 32 per square metre — were much lower than other companies that set up units in the state. Concessional pricing apart, the group did not face land acquisition hurdles, as the state allotted non-agricultural government land for Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), the country’s largest multi-product SEZ spread across 15,946.32 acres (6,456 hectares) in Kutch district’s Mundra block. By comparison, other companies setting up facilities in the state paid much higher rates: Tata Motors was given 1,110 acres for its Nano car plant in Sanand (near Ahmedabad) at Rs 900 per sq mt, Ford India paid at Rs 1,100 per sq mt for 460 acres close by, while India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, bought about 700 acres in Hansalpur at Rs 670 per sq mt. Among other industrial groups, K Raheja Corp was sold land at Rs 470 per sq mt, while TCS had to pay at Rs 1,100 per sq mt and Torrent Power at Rs 6,000 per sq mt. (one acre equals 4,046.86 square metres). Amid campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, this has become a subject of political debate, with Modi’s opponents alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) prime ministerial candidate gave away land to his friends at throwaway prices as Gujarat chief minister. On its part, BJP claims the state gave land on concessional rates to encourage industry. Repeated emailed queries sent to Adani Group did not elicit any response. But sources in the group justified allotment at low prices, saying the land was given more than a decade ago, and that in an arid region with no scope of vegetation. The land allotted for the SEZ and port was government wasteland, forest land, grazing land and inter-tidal land. So, no acquisition hurdles were faced from farmers. According to sources in Mundra, where APSEZ is based, the jantri (ready reckoner) rate for land there in 2006-07 was around Rs 50-100 per sq mt. Since 1993, when the Adani group began developing its port and SEZ, various state governments have allotted land to the group. State government sources said there was no other instance of land being allotted at Rs 1 to Rs 32 per sq mt to any company or industrial group. Only educational or religious institutions were an exception. Sanat Mehta, who was the state’s finance minister from 1980 to 1985, said there was no policy for giving government land for industrial use when he was in power. “In our times, the policy was to give only GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) land for industries. We never allotted government land for industrial use. Even General Motors, the US-based car maker, got GIDC land,” Mehta said. He acknowledged the state government gave some incentives to big industries even during his tenure as finance minister, but those were in the form of deferments in sales tax payment (as a promotional measure). However, despite getting a good land deal from the state, the Adani group has so far not been able to gain much. According to the data published by the department of commerce, under the commerce & industry ministry, of the

15,946.32 acres allotted to APSEZ, only 8,287.44 acres (51 per cent) were being utilised for processing; the rest of the land was lying unutilised. APSEZ falls under the zonal development commissioner of Kandla SEZ, which has about 31,835.83 acres under it (12,777.03 acres lying vacant). Of the total land lying vacant, nearly 61 per cent belongs to APSEZ… (Business Standard 26/4/14) NMDC mulls shifting pellet plant site in Chhattisga rh (4) New Delhi: State-run iron ore miner NMDC is actively considering changing the location of its proposed two million tonne per annum (mtpa) pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh due to delay in land acquisition. “As land acquisition is getting delayed due to delay in conducting gram sabha by the Chhattisgarh state government, a proposal for change in location of the pellet plant has been under active consideration,” a company source said. NMDC was mulling setting up a pellet plant adjacent to its upcoming greenfield steel facility at Nagarnar, which is likely to start production by next fiscal, at an estimated cost of Rs. 800 crore. The company in October last year had submitted the requisite application for obtaining environmental clearance. The terms of reference (TOR) was held in December. The purpose of TOR, as per the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), is to enable the project proponent for planning and designing environmental impact assessment (EIA). “One of the points in the TOR minutes was that the EIA report should be submitted after the land acquisition,” the source said, adding since land acquisition was getting delayed, there was no point in pursuing for environmental clearance. “At this juncture, we do not have any other viable option left but shifting the location. We are considering that option actively,” he said. A decision on change of site would be taken after consulting with the competent authority, he added. The change in location of the pellet plant would mean the transportation cost of the end-product to its steel plant would go up resulting some additional expenditure for the company when the steel plant stats production. NMDC is setting up a three million tonnes per annum steel plant at Nagarnar in Bastar district with an investment of Rs. 15,525 crore. The company has already received all statutory clearances for the project. (The Hindu 27/4/14)

Tension as protesters block eviction drive in Wayan ad ARAPETTA (WAYANAD DISTRICT: A group of people under the aegis of the Adivasi Kshema Samiti and the Kerala Karshaka Thozhilali Union resists an eviction drive at Arapetta, near Mepadi, in Wayanad district on Saturday.Tension prevailed here on Saturday morning after a team of revenue and police department personnel which tried to evict a group of people who had encroached upon a piece of land reportedly in possession of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. (HML) was thwarted. The Kerala High Court had directed the district administration on January 29 to evict those who had encroached upon the HML land at five sites such as Arapetta under the Mupainad village; Anappara in Chundale; Perumkoda in Puzhuthana; Pozhuthana in Achuranom; and Thovarimala in Nenmeni within two months. It was reported that the protesters encroached upon the land and erected huts under the aegis of the Adivasi Kshema Samiti (AKS) and the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU), two feeder organisations of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], in 2012 demanding that the government resume surplus land allegedly possessed by the HML, and disburse it to the landless people. Close to 400 people belonging to 150 families encroached upon nearly 200 acres here as part of the agitation. When a team of Revenue officials led by K.K. Ganeshan, Additional District Magistrate, reached the spot along with armed police personnel around 9 a.m. to implement the court directive, a group led by C.K. Saseendran, district unit secretary, CPI(M), and P. Krishnaprasad, former MLA, resisted the attempt. Suicide threatThe tension increased when four protesters, identified as Mary George, 50, of Panayamkadom; Ismail of Vadakkan; Rahim of Changassery, and M.C. Aneesh, poured kerosene on themselves and threatened to commit suicide if they were evicted. Later, Mr. Ganeshan held a discussion with the leaders of the protesters around 12 p.m. and promised that the issue would be solved after a discussion in the presence

of the District Collector. The protesters led a march to the HML Arapetta office in protest against the eviction drive. Mr. Ganeshan told The Hindu that the drive could not be completed owing to massive resistance from the protesters, and future action would be decided after a discussion with senior department officials. On Tuesday, the revenue officials had evicted seven families, reportedly tenants on the land, at Nedumbala, near here. On Wednesday, the officials opened a relief camp for them at a school at Mepadi following a public protest. However, the relief camp was closed on Saturday after village officials reported that the evicted families possessed own land. Though the families protested against the stance of the officials, they were removed using force. (The Hindu 4/5/14) Uttarakhand rehabilitation: No development in sight (4) Dehradun: For the 60-70 odd families of Gondar village in Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary in Uttarakhand, life is virtually an everyday struggle. Bereft of basic needs like electricity, drinking water and roads, Gondar is still miles away from development. "We have promised electricity, water and well- constructed roads this year to the people and Rs 1 crore has already been sanctioned," said Shailarani Rawat, the local ruling Congress MLA from Kedarnath. The inhabitants, refusing to be satisfied by such promises, have threatened to boycott the May 7 general elections. Like Gondar, there are scores of villages falling under wildlife sanctuaries and other protected areas that are still miles away from development. The forest dwellers here have spent lifetimes fighting for their basic rights. Also, the Tongia community, residing in the Rajaji National Park in Haridwar district, has been neglected by successive governments. Demands of Van Gujjars, a Muslim tribal community residing in the Rajaji Park and Corbett National Park, has been turned down repeatedly. "We are seeking scheduled tribe status for Van Gujjars on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir," said Avadhash Kaushal, chairperson of Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, a Dehradun-based NGO which fights for the rights of Van Gujjars in the hill state. Ironically, the state forest department claims to have chalked out plans to rehabilitate all these Van Gujjars outside the park areas. "Most of these Gujjars have already been rehabilitated," said a top forest department official. Surprisingly, the state election commission asserts that there are no issues related to the flood-affected people in the state. "We have inquired from the District Magistrates of all the five disaster-affected districts regarding the problems being faced by the people there. There is no issue and people are ready to vote for the May 7 election," said Radha Raturi, the state chief electoral officer. (Business Standard 5/5/14) Eviction Drive near Rajmahal, 16 Shops Removed (4) BHUBANESWAR: The General Administration (GA) department and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) removed about 16 temporary shops near Rajmahal flyover in a joint eviction drive on Monday. However, the eviction of about 26 mud houses in a slum near Kasturbha Nari Mahal could not be carried out due to stiff resistance by the slum dwellers. Sources said besides 16 temporary shops, two cabins were also removed from one of the roads adjacent to SBI branch under Rajmahal flyover. About 37 street vendors were evicted from the road leading towards Adivasi ground in Unit-I. The enforcement team consisting of BDA and GA officials reached the slum near Kasturbha Nari Mahal on Monday morning, but could not carry out eviction of about 26 mud houses. Despite deployment of two platoons of police force, the eviction drive was halted due to protests by the slum dwellers and a few locals having political affiliations. Senior State Government officials present during the eviction drive said the dwellers squatted on the road to prevent the bulldozers from moving ahead. BDA Encroachment Officer Debaprasad Das said stiff resistance from slum dwellers prevented the eviction which could have cleared encroachment on a large chunk of GA land. The slum dwellers have reportedly encroached upon the conservancy line, an area near Government quarters which is usually used for drainage or sewerage channel. The increasing number of slums encroaching upon Government land in the city has become a problem for the civic authorities. Currently, there are about 120 authorised and more than 340 unauthorised slums in the city. Sources said the eviction of the slum near Kasturbha Nari Mahal will be taken up later. The BDA will also undertake eviction drives across the city after the model code of conduct

is lifted from the State. BDA Encroachment Officer Das said there should be timely provisioning of police force during eviction or demolition drive. If the police personnel are provided on time, eviction could be carried out smoothly, he added. (New Indian Express 6/5/14) Stay on acquisition of land in NCR to continue: HC (4) CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday clarified that the stay on acquisition of land and issuance of any change of land use (CLU) licences to developers to build colonies in Gurgaon and the National Capital Region (NCR) area would continue till further orders. The HC on January 23 had stayed the acquisition process and the issuance of CLU licences till the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) approves a sub-regional plan for the area. The orders were passed by the HC after hearing petitions alleging unregulated construction and development around Gurgaon and NCR without the mandatory sub-regional plan from the NCRPB. When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, counsel for the town and country planning department informed the court that it has prepared a sub-regional plan and submitted the same before the board on February 17 on which a report is awaited. NCRPB informed the HC that it has prepared a report on the issue and sent it to the Haryana government. However, the counsel for the Haryana government submitted that it is yet to receive the report. After hearing all the parties, Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked all the parties to submit a status report on the matter and till the submission of them the stay order would continue. Petitioner Rishi Dagar and others had also challenged the proposed Gurgaon master plan of 2025 and 2031. The petitioners argued before the court that the Haryana government had permitted haphazard construction in and around Gurgaon and NCR and licences have been issued without obtaining mandatory approval of its sub-regional plan from the NCRPB. Sub-regional plan is one that a state government needs to prepare for its areas coming in NCR. (New Indian Express 8/5/14) Tamil Nadu to compensate landowners in two phases ( 4) CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has worked out a strategy to address the issue of compensation for land acquisition so as to ensure smooth progress of the ongoing infrastructure projects. It has combined the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 with some aspects of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, for the purpose. Under the plan, interim compensation will be initially paid to landowners on the basis of the existing system. Additional compensation will be given under the 2013 Act as and when rules under the law are available. This approach will be adopted in the cases of land acquisition initiated under Section 4 (1) of the 1894 law [publication of preliminary notification] or Section 6 [declaration of intended acquisition]. This has been reflected in a notification issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department two weeks ago for the outer ring road project. In this case, the Department has declared its intention to acquire 43 hectares in Tiruvallur district under Section 6 of the 1894 Act, but provisions of the 2013 Act for the determination of compensation will apply. The strategy was spelt out in an order issued a couple of weeks before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections came into force on March 5. A similar approach will be adopted in the case of land acquisition for the Kannankottai-Thervoy Kandigai reservoir project proposed in Tiruvallur district. The reservoir will supply water to Chennai, a senior official says. And, using the same law, the process has been set in motion for a major bus terminus at Vandalur, on the outskirts of Chennai. Furthermore, land is acquired under three State laws: the Acquisition of Land for Harijan Welfare Schemes Act of 1978, the Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act of 1997 and the Highways Act of 2001. In late February and early March, under clauses of the 1997 law, the proceedings have been initiated for the expansion of the SIPCOT industrial complex at Oragadam near Chennai, the industrial units at Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai district and the extension of the Coimbatore airport runway. Given the importance of land acquisition under these laws, the government has decided to continue the process for one year, choosing not to apply the 2013 law for the time being. A Bill for this purpose, adopted by the Assembly in February, is awaiting the President’s assent. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA K.

Balakrishnan feels that the government should have at least kept the 1997 law out of the exemption provision as the rationale behind the 2013 law is to give owners a higher compensation when their land is bought for industrial purposes. An official says the scheme to provide interim and additional compensation, now worked out for the cases under the 1894 Act, will soon be extended to those under the 1997 law. (The Hindu 13/5/14) Stay on acquisition of land in NCR to continue: HC (4) CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday clarified that the stay on acquisition of land and issuance of any change of land use (CLU) licences to developers to build colonies in Gurgaon and the National Capital Region (NCR) area would continue till further orders. The HC on January 23 had stayed the acquisition process and the issuance of CLU licences till the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) approves a sub-regional plan for the area. The orders were passed by the HC after hearing petitions alleging unregulated construction and development around Gurgaon and NCR without the mandatory sub-regional plan from the NCRPB. When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, counsel for the town and country planning department informed the court that it has prepared a sub-regional plan and submitted the same before the board on February 17 on which a report is awaited. NCRPB informed the HC that it has prepared a report on the issue and sent it to the Haryana government. However, the counsel for the Haryana government submitted that it is yet to receive the report. After hearing all the parties, Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked all the parties to submit a status report on the matter and till the submission of them the stay order would continue. Petitioner Rishi Dagar and others had also challenged the proposed Gurgaon master plan of 2025 and 2031. The petitioners argued before the court that the Haryana government had permitted haphazard construction in and around Gurgaon and NCR and licences have been issued without obtaining mandatory approval of its sub-regional plan from the NCRPB. Sub-regional plan is one that a state government needs to prepare for its areas coming in NCR. (Times of India 15/5/14) Allahabad HC sets aside land acquisition notice (4) ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday set aside the notification dated November 9, 2009 by which the land at Hazratpur in Greater NOIDA was acquired by the state government for planned industrial development. Under this notification, 73 hectares of land was acquired by the state government through Greater NOIDA Industrial Development Authority. The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Naheed Ara Moonis, on a writ petition filed by Uday Veer of Greater NOIDA, after hearing the counsel for the petitioner, counsel for Greater NOIDA and counsel for the state government. The petitioner contended that the land of the petitioner was acquired through the notification by using the urgency clause in an illegal manner. He alleged that the villagers and farmers, whose lands were acquired, were not given opportunity to file objections in view of the urgency clause. This was patently illegal. Secondly, the counsel for the petitioner contended that the possession over the said land was also made in an improper manner. On these grounds, he urged the court to set aside the notification. (Times of India 16/5/14) Area Acquired by Kamarajar Port May be Turned Into SEZ (4) CHENNAI: A new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) or a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) may be set up within the 650 acres recently acquired by the Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL), formerly the Ennore Port, with the KPL deciding to appoint a consultant to look into the proper utilisation of the land. Speaking at an interactive session on exports organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Monday, the Chairman cum Managing Director of the KPL M A Bhaskarachar said that the port had decided on appointing a consultant to look into how to properly utilise the 647.8 acres of land that it took over from the Salt Department of the Government of India early in March this year. “We have decided to appoint a consultant to look into how to utilise the land and one of the options we have is to set up a SEZ or a FTZ

within the property,” he said. The port acquired the land after a 12-year wait only on March 2 this year. The CMD pointed out that the port had managed to increase the draft of the vessels it can accommodate to 14.5-15 metres from the 12 metres it was earlier by dredging the channel and the basin. Consequently, the port can now accommodate much larger vessels. “We hadn’t announced it earlier because of the Model Code of Conduct being in effect, but the port has increased its draft by 2 metres to 14.5 metres. The benefit to the port is huge,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the session. “We have got a request from the Chettinad berth to dredge the berth to the same level so that they can avail of this draft. We will be awarding this dredging contract within a month and the operation will begin by June and be completed in six months,” he added. (New Indian Express 20/5/14) Ministry officials want Modi govt to look at land l aws (4) New Delhi: With Narendra Modi set to take over as prime minister in the next few days, the department of agriculture is proposing a comprehensive review of land ceiling laws as a first major reform in the sector. Land also figures in the to-do list of the rural development ministry. It has proposed centralisation of land records to enable smooth operation of the Land Acquisition Act initiated by the outgoing government. Officials said though issues related to land and agriculture primarily come within the domain of state governments, the Centre can advise and suggest changes. And, any changes in agricultural land ceilings have to have Centre's concurrence. The agriculture ministry has in a presentation to cabinet secretary Ajit Seth called for a comprehensive review of the land ceiling laws, to stop fragmentation of farms and promote consolidation. At present, most states have a ceiling of 10-20 acres in holdings of irrigated land with two crops, which hampers leasing and also stops large-scale acquisition (see chart). Some officials said the farm ministry has also proposed amendments to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and boosting irrigation as other big proposals. If initiated, the proposed measures could turn out to be big reforms in the farm sector. Repeated attempts by the UPA government to review land ceiling laws and to create a centralised database of land records failed due to inadequate cooperation from state governments. The Bharatiya Janata Party's poll manifesto talked of a national land use policy. This would, it said, look at the scientific acquisition of non-cultivable land and its development, protect the interest of farmers and keep in mind the food production goals and economic goals of the country. "The idea mooted by the department of agriculture is a good one. Agricultural land has become highly fragmented, with average holdings dropping below two hectares. This makes farming uneconomical for growers and also sometimes leads to reverse tenancy, like by small farmers in Punjab and Haryana," Gokul Patnaik, chairman of Global AgriSystem, an agribusiness consulting group, told Business Standard. He said in some states tenancy laws were very outdated, which stymied any substantial land reform. "In the interest of mechanisation of farming in India and also for growth of irrigation, government should initiate steps to reform the ceiling Acts," Patnaik said. S Mahendra Dev, director of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, said the move would ensure small and marginal farmers got productivity benefits and more acres could come under mechanisation. "In some states like Maharashtra, legally there is no tenancy; in others like Andhra Pradesh, much of tenancy is only oral. So, there are a lot of discrepancies in land-related issues in states which need to be corrected," he said. However, some also say the Centre's move would unnecessarily muddle land issues. "Land is primarily a state subject and the Centre has a very limited role. So, there is no point in making suggestions," said Ajay Jakhar, chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, a farmers' advocacy group. (Business Standard 22/5/14) UP objects to Delhi govt acquiring land (4) New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has urged the Supreme Court to recall its April 15 order allowing the Delhi government to go ahead with the process of acquiring 100 ‘bighas’ (20 acres) of land for Jamia Millia Islamia University. The land in question is along the UP border near the south east region of the capital.UP sought the maintenance of status quo on the Delhi government’s September 2011 bid to acquire around 215 bighas of land near the village Okhla, until a decision on the original suit is made. It,

however, said: “If the Jamia Millia Islamia University requires land for the purpose of its expansion, it can request the government of UP and the same can be considered.” Claiming that the land came under the ownership of UP, it contended that the notification issued by the government of Delhi was illegal and without jurisdiction or authority. “Any further proceedings under the Land Acquisition Act for the remaining land will be a futile exercise, as the same is claimed by the plaintiff state as owned and under possession and there is no other owner/interested person for it,” an interlocutory application by the UP government said. It said that the disputed land was first acquired around 1882-1887 by the then Lt Governor of Punjab for the purpose of construction of ‘bunds’ (embankments), adding that it was then given to Agra canal estate, which was part of Uttar Pradesh, for maintenance and control of flooding in the river Yamuna. The UP government claimed that the ‘khatonies’ (document of title/ownership) mentioned the UP’s irrigation department as the land’s owner. It also said that the UP government had in the past provided land to the Delhi government, such as the 31.54 acres of land near Akshardham temple that it gave for the purpose of building construction during the Commonwealth Games in 2010, besides 12.12 hectare along the Yamuna bank for the Delhi Metro Rail project. The UP government also claimed that it handed another portion of land for the purpose of building a flyover near Geeta Colony. In November 2011, the apex court ordered a status quo in the matter, but modified its interim order on April 15 and lifted the stay. (Deccan Herald 26/5/14) ‘No repeal of land acquisition law’ (4) New Delhi: Restructuring rather than repealing the controversial Land Acquisition Act initiated by the UPA government will be the focus of new minister for rural development Gopinath Munde. He asserted that he was not in the favour of scrapping the scheme but will rather focus on providing compensation and rehabilitation to the farmers. He emphasised that one of his priorities will be asset development in the villages, which due to the integration of the three ministries will be easier to streamline. Mr Munde added that he will tackle the issue of non-timely payments under the rural job scheme, MNREGA by working in coordination with the state governments. “Ensuring timely payments under the MNREGA by coordinating with the state governments will also be on priority. Timely performance of the scheme will be assessed to ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach its beneficiaries,” Mr Munde said. He, however, rejected the idea of increasing the duration of the scheme from 100 days as he said that most parts in India witness 100 days of rainfall. Another focus area he emphasised will be the rejuvenation of the drinking water scheme. “We will identify the problem areas in ensuring a permanent source of clean drinking water. The challenge is the fact that the implementing agency for the scheme are the district council and not the state agencies,” he said. He added that new groups will be added to the flagship scheme of the Congress-led UPA government, Indira rural housing scheme. (Asian Age 30/5/14) Will use force if Campa Cola residents do not coope rate: MCGM (4) Mumbai: Armed with the supreme court order dismissing a plea of residents of Campa Cola compound against demolition of their flats, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) today said that it would not hesitate in using force to ensure that flats are vacated by occupants. "Use of force is the last thing that we will do. If it (eviction) is happening peacefully, it's welcome. (However) if the eviction does not happen peacefully, there is no other option than to use force. But why should there be any confrontation?" Additional Municipal Commissioner Mohan Adtani, in charge of the demolition of flats, told PTI. The apex court had yesterday dismissed the resident's petition to stay the demolition of their flats till the court decides on a curative petition filed by the residents. "Under the SC directives, the residents are legally bound to vacate their flats, but if they fail to do so we might use force against them as last resort," he said. Seven high-rise buildings of Campa Cola Housing Society in South Munbai were constructed between 1981 and 1989. The builders had permission for only six floors. However, one of the compound buildings, 'Midtown', has 20 floors and another building, 'Orchid', has got 17 floors.As many as 102 illegal flats in the seven buildings will be razed. Adtani said that the residents have realised after the supreme

court order that they have entirely lost the case. The MCGM had asked the residents to hand over the keys of their flats and vacate them. The deadline expired on June 2. "So far they (residents) had thought that they will find a (legal) solution (against the eviction). But after yesterday's court order they (the residents) have probably realised that they have lost the case completely, and have started vacating (their flats). This a sign of new hope for us," Adtani said. Adtani said that the civic body will take a call on starting the demolition process after it assesses the number of flats being vacated by residents.He also said that the civic body was mulling over filing a contempt case against the illegal residents. When asked to comment on the residents' plea to grant them an extension until the monsoon season is over, Adtani said that this was beyond jurisdiction of the MCGM. "We cannot give them any (more) time. The supreme court had already given them time on two occasions in the past. It is not within our powers (to give any relief) as it is fixed by the supreme court," Adtani said. The curative petition filed by the Association of the Residents of Campa Cola has said that they had come across certain facts under a Right to Information (RTI) query, that were never out before. The plea had further said that the MCGM and the state had decided to regularise the illegal construction in 1985. In 2013, the supreme court stayed the demolition of unauthorised flats in the Campa Cola compound till May 31, 2014 after the BMC squad bulldozed its way into the compound to take action against illegal flats in the Society with the residents putting up a stiff resistance. (Deccan Herald 4/6/14) Posco Faces Fresh Protest over Mining at Khandadhar (4) ROURKELA: Renewed resentment is brewing against prospective mining by Korean steel major Posco at Khandadhar under Lahunipara block of Sundargarh district. Members of Khandadhar Suraksha Sangram Samiti (KSSS) with support of civil rights activist and Lok Shakti Abhiyan president Prafulla Samantara on Tuesday announced to hold a mass convention near Khandadhar waterfall on Thursday and observe the World Environment Day as ‘Save Khandadhar’ Day. Flanked by Samantara, KSSS secretary Suresh Munda and leader of Paudi Bhuiyan tribe Bilua Naik informed that the villagers of Talbahali, Haldikudar, Phuljhor, Kuliposh, Khuntgaon, Kurda, Bhutura and Sasyakala would participate in the convention. Reiterating the need to save Khandadhar waterfall, Samantara demanded the Central and State governments to ensure no mining activities within 25 km radius of the waterfall and declare the region as National Natural Heritage. He insisted on protecting the natural habitat of the diminishing primitive tribe Paudi Bhuiyan, who along with other tribal communities, are religiously attached to the Khandadhar hill, the abode of their presiding deity Kanta Devi. He also appealed to the State Government to withdraw its second recommendation of Prospective Licence (PL) to Posco. Samantara said the greater Khandadhar waterfall in Lahunipara sustains greenery and feeds the residents of several panchayats. The waterfall merges with river Brahmani. Apart from KSSS, the Khandadhar Suraksha Samiti, Rourkela unit of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Chheliatoka Parivesh Suraksha Samiti, Khandadhar Mahila Suraksha Samiti and Bonai Bikash Parishad (BBP) are also fighting for the same cause. BBP kicked off a post card campaign against the proposed mining at Khandadhar on March 12 urging the State Government to protect Khandadhar through post cards. BBP general secretary Babaji Sahu said above 15,000 post cards have been submitted so far. A convention would be held at Khandadhar after 13 days where a new outfit, Khandadhar Parivesh Suraksha Samiti, would be formed with representations from 56 affected villages. Following the formation of the outfit, women members would visit villages to mobilise public opinion against Posco. (New Indian Express 4/6/14) NH revamp left in lurch - Firm dumps Rs 940cr proje ct (4) Ranchi, June 5: A Calcutta-based construction company has backed out of the Jamshedpur-Kharagpur highway link widening project two years after bagging it, citing pending forest clearances and land acquisition glitches. Simplex Infrastructures Ltd has written to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) headquarters in Delhi, saying it was unable to execute the Rs 940-crore four-lane project involving 127km of national highways Nos. 33 and 6 covering Jharkhand and Bengal. A source in NHAI said Simplex,

appointed the project concessionaire under build-operate-transfer (toll) in 2012, had not got a date of appointment — or time from when it could start groundwork — as forest clearances and land acquisition were held up. According to Central Vigilance Commission norms, the NHAI can give the appointment letter to a firm on contract only when forest clearances are obtained and 80 per cent land needed is acquired. The onus of readying forest clearances lies mainly with the Centre, while the state government is responsible for acquiring land. “Simplex wrote to NHAI recently saying it would not be able to execute the four-lane work. NHAI may have to go for a fresh tender. Finalisation of a new agency will take time,” an NHAI official said, requesting anonymity. Covering the dilapidated Mahulia-Baharagora-Kharagpur stretch, 71km of the project falls in Jharkhand and 56km in Bengal. The proposed widening covered two sections, Mahulia-Baharagora on NH-33 and Baharagora-Kharagpur on NH-6. Close on the heels of this fallout, NHAI is also concerned over the slow pace of widening work on the NH-33 link of Ranchi-Jamshedpur. Ranchi-based project director of NHAI Awadhesh Kumar told The Telegraph that Delhi headquarters is “already concerned” over the slow pace of work executed by construction major Madhucon Projects Limited, which last year was appointed the concessionaire for the Rs 1,500-crore project. “The overall deadline for the project is June 2015, which we doubt would be realised,” said Kumar, who was in Delhi earlier this week and inspected the site today with NHAI chief general manager Rabindra Kumar. (The Telegraph 6/6/14) 'Farmers whose land will be acquired for airport up gradation to get compensation' (4) LUDHIANA: As the land acquisition authorities have issued notification before fixing the rates for acquisition of land from farmers for the upgradation of Sahnewal airport, the authorities are likely to give compensation to the farmers as per the New Land Acquisition act. Giving details, Kuldeep Singh, additional chief administrator GLADA, said "We have already submitted the objections from the farmers of the villages in which land is being acquired after we issued notification under section 4 of the Land Acquisition act in June last year. On May 30 we also issued notification under section 6 of the land acquisition act after which we are calculating the rates for the land to be acquired". "The process of fixation of prices of the land will be completed within a month or two. The compensation is likely to be given to the farmers before the end of this year". He added that the farmers will be given rates as per the new land acquisition act and according to that they will get twice the rate than the collectorate rate given previously. Officials in GLADA which is acquiring the land for the project say that whereas the collectorate rate for an acre of land previously was around 35-40 Lakhs per acre but as per the new land acquisition act, the farmers may get around Rs 80 lakhs for the same piece of land. In the meanwhile farmers whose land is being acquired are not happy with the double the collectorate rate. Says Amar Singh, a farmer of Neechi Mangli, "We had heard that rates will be four times of the collectorate rate but two times is too less a price for the land. Once the authorities announce the rates for the land, we will decide next course of action". (Times of India 9/6/14) TMC land ‘catalyst’ for NTPC (4) The Trinamul Congress today participated in an all-party meeting on land acquisition convened by NTPC for its proposed 1,320MW thermal power plant at Burdwan’s Katwa and promised to play the role of a “catalyst” in helping the central utility purchase plots directly. The timing of the move, which marked a sea change in the party’s stand on land for the project in a little over three years, hinted at latent political concerns after the Lok Sabha poll results showed significant Opposition gains in seven Assembly segments in and around the site. “Trinamul will happily play the role of a catalyst. Land must not stand in the way when people are willingly parting with it for industry,” said Trinamul’s Ketugram MLA Sheikh Shahnawaz after the meeting at the SDO’s office. The ruling party today went to the extent of requesting NTPC to double the capacity — 2,640MW instead of the sanctioned plan of 1,320MW and four units instead of two — for the benefit of the region. Even if twice the quantum of land is required, according to Shahnawaz, “willing participation of land-owners will simply not be an issue”. The utility possesses 556

acres acquired by the Left government and needs another 227 acres. Following Mamata’s “gift” of 97 acres before the general election, it has to buy 130 acres directly from around 1,100 land-owners. Trinamul sources said the decision to help accelerate the Rs 9,000-crore project was taken at the “highest level” of the government after the elections. While the CPM led in the Ketugram and Katwa Assembly segments, the BJP was ahead in Mangalkot, Raina, Memari and Purbasthali North and South. The Ketugram and Mangalkot segments are under the Bolpur Lok Sabha seat, while the rest are part of the Burdwan East parliamentary constituency. “The sluggish progress of the project is causing discontent,” a source said. Less than a fortnight after Trinamul came to power in 2011, Mamata Banerjee had declared that the government would not acquire “even an inch” of land for the project. NTPC’s eastern regional chairman Mahendra Singh said the utility would start the process of buying land from tomorrow. “It’s great to see everyone coming together for the realisation of this dream project,” Singh said. After the meeting, 53 land-owners from Koshigram’s Sahapur gave a letter to Singh declaring their willingness to part with around 80 acres. (The Telegraph 11/6/14) Draft rules on new land acquisition law soon: Min ( 4) Bangalore: Karnataka Revenue department is hopeful of tabling the draft rules in the next Assembly session to implement the new land acquisition law after getting Cabinet approval tomorrow. "The Cabinet sub-committee is meeting tomorrow to discuss the framing of draft rules for implementing the state's own Bill, modelled on the Centre's Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013," Karnataka Revenue Minister Sreenivasa Prasad told reporters here. "After framing the draft rules it will be placed before the Cabinet tomorrow for approval and tabled in the Assembly session scheduled this month," Prasad added. Prasad held a meeting with officials to discuss the pros and cons of implementing the new land Act, which has replaced the 120-year-old Land Acquisition Act, 1894, from January 1. Each state is allowed to frame rules to implement the Act. Under the proposed Act, farmers selling their land will get attractive compensation and there will be transparency in land acquisition for public, public-private and private purposes, Prasad said. "Farmers holding land in rural areas will get a compensation four times more than the guidance value and two times more for holding land in urban areas," Prasad said. The compensation under the new law will be paid with retrospective effect from January 2014, he added. (Zee News 12/6/14) Narmada Dam height to be raised by 17 metres; lakhs will lose their homes, activists say (4) NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: The government has decided to raise the height of the Narmada Dam by 17 metres — a longstanding demand of Gujarat — within 20 days of Narendra Modi becoming the Prime Minister, raising protests from activist Medha Patkar who drew attention to the resultant displacement of thousands of people. On Thursday, the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) approved the proposal to raise the dam's height from 121.9 metres to 138.7 metres, making it the second highest dam in the world after Grand Coulee in the US. The approval came two days after the Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel met Modi and water resources minister Uma Bharti and reiterated the state's demand. A higher dam will optimize hydro-power generation and water supply capacity of this project, and is expected to benefit not just Gujarat but also neighbouring Rajashthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat has been demanding this for the last eight years, and Modi would place this demand before the Centre on every official visit to Delhi as chief minister. (Times of India 13/6/14) Government to review Special Economic Zones, Free T rade Agreements policies (4) Chennai: The status of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Special Economic Zones (SEZ) has come under critical review of the Union commerce and industry ministry and a policy decision on their viability, especially economic benefits, will be made soon. Union commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman who had ordered her ministry officials to undertake a thorough review also said a consultation with the stakeholders to address concerns of the industry with regard to the Companies Act had been

planned. “There has been mixed reaction to the FTAs, particularly its benefits. I instructed the ministry officials to do a complete analysis and the ministry will soon come out with a status report in a fortnight,” she said. “I have also instructed officials to do a complete review of SEZs and why they have not worked. We are going to review and rework SEZs,” she added. Ms Sitharaman said that the review of FTAs and SEZ policies was meant to boost investments and improve employment opportunities. PM Narendra Modi was meeting officials in Delhi to address the problems related to SEZs on Saturday, she added. Nirmala Sitharaman is in the city to meet various industry associations like Confederation of Indian Industries and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to understand how to attract more investments to Tamil Nadu and create employment opportunities, said a meeting with all stakeholders would be held next week in Delhi to explore the changes that require to be effected in the new Companies Act to bring back investor confidence. The new Companies Act, 2013, replaced the old Companies Act, 1956 and had “posed a lot of problems” to companies, chartered accountants and industries. On the FDI in multi-brand retail, she said it was unwelcome. (Asian Age 15/6/14) Dalit minor set on fire in Gujarat after dispute (2 ) Ahmedabad: A spat with neighbours over disposal of dirty water resulted in a minor Dalit girl from Gujarat being set ablaze on Sunday. Chandrika Parmar (15) suffered 70 per cent burns when her neighbours, also Dalits, launched a sudden attack on her and her family. She is battling for her life at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The incident took place in Syla village in Surendranagar district. Chandrika had complained to her neighbour, Suneeta Vaghela, about throwing dirty water outside her house, leading to an argument. Ms. Vaghela’s father Motibhai Sumera then slapped Chandrika’s younger brother Milan and threatened the family. When Chandrika’s mother Manjuben Parmar lodged a police complaint, the neighbours were infuriated. “That afternoon, Mr. Sumera, along with his immediate and extended family members, barged into the Parmar home and started beating everyone,” Chandrika’s cousin Mahendra Parmar told The Hindu. “They were carrying sticks, red chilli powder and kerosene. There were nearly 10 of them. They were trying to douse Chandrika’s younger brother with kerosene when she rushed to his rescue. The assailants then turned on her. While three women held her down, the men poured kerosene and set her on fire,” the cousin said. Chandrika suffered severe burns. “She is still in a critical condition,” M.M. Prabhakar, medical superintendent of the Civil Hospital, told The Hindu. “Had the police acted on Manjuben’s complaint, the matter would not have escalated to this extent,” said Anand Parmar, Chandrika’s elder brother. “Instead, the local police used abusive words. They threatened to put me behind bars. When we went to the police station, we were made to wait for hours.” The police have registered a case of attempt to murder, house-trespass and criminal intimidation against Mr. Sumera, a civil engineer; Sangeeta Vaghela, a school headmistress, and six other members of the Sumera family, based on Chandrika’s statement. “Such a violent reaction to such a trivial issue is quite unexpected. There is no history of animosity or violence between the neighbours, except for occasional arguments over petty issues,” P.N. Momaya, Deputy Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu. She denied the family’s allegations that the police was lax in acting on the family’s complaint. “We took prompt action,” she said. (The Hindu 18/6/14) Land law changes on cards (4) New Delhi, June 18: The NDA government is planning to bring amendments to the land acquisition law to speed up road projects being executed in partnership with private investors. Rural development minister Nitin Gadkari today told a television channel that several states had expressed reservations about the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, which lays down a three-layer takeover procedure. According to the law, the district administration concerned has to conduct a social impact assessment within six months of a project being envisaged to find out the number of persons to be affected and the total land required. If it is a public-private partnership (PPP) project, the government will have to take the consent of 70 per cent of land-losers. For

private projects with public interest, 80 per cent of land-losers have to give their consent. This process would take another six months, after which the government will pay the compensation to the affected families and acquire the land. Gadkari, who is also the transport minister, is worried about road projects stuck because of the provisions of the acquisition law. “We will discuss (the acquisition act) with the states and, after I have considered their suggestions, I will take them to the Prime Minister. We will go by his decision,” he told the channel. “Within 20 days... we will come to a conclusion because this is the issue which is related with the future development of this country.” The timeline of almost a year — six months for the social impact assessment and another six for taking consent — is something the government wants to bring down. The maximum time should be six months, at least for road projects, sources in the ministry said. Another amendment being planned is to dilute the consent provision, at least for PPP projects. Road projects are mainly implemented in PPP mode. Since seeking written consent of 70 per cent of land-losers is a gigantic task, the ministry would like to bring it down, though it is not clear to what extent. Gadkari has said road projects worth Rs 60,000 crore are stuck in legal disputes. There are certain exemptions for linear projects like road, railway and electricity lines in the existing act. For example, while the law says multi-crop land cannot be acquired, linear projects have been exempted. The new law came into effect from January 2014, replacing a 120-year-old act. Parliament had passed the law in the winter session when the UPA was in power. (The Telegraph 19/6/14) 'Restore ownership of farm land to farmers' (20) CHANDIGARH: The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ambavata) on Sunday asked the Haryana government to restore the ownership of agriculture land of 15 villages to farmers who have not taken the compensation so far. The farmers' body threatened jail "bharo" in the state from the first week of July. This was decided during the meeting of state executive of the union chaired by its Haryana president Shamsher Singh Dahiya at Bad Khalsa village in Sonipat. Around 200 members of the union from villages whose land has been acquired attended the meeting. Land acquisition in Sonipat was for Rajiv Gandhi Education city. The project began in 2006 and since then the farmers of this area are on a warpath. "According to the new Land Acquisition Act, the government is supposed to return the land to farmers who have not got any kind of compensation so far. Secondly, the government is also supposed to return the land where farmer is still in possession. But, Haryana government is deliberately avoiding the same and this has been going on for the past nine years,'' Dahiya said. This is not just the case of Sonipat but of other districts as well, hence we have decided to go for a strike now, he added. (Times of India 23/6/14) Narmada dam oustees oppose NCA decision (4) New Delhi: Even as the official-level Narmada Control Authority (NCA) asserted that all project-affected families facing displacement at the present height of the Narmada dam had been “resettled,” several people still living in the submergence villages arrived here on Tuesday from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat seeking a hearing from the Central government. The oustees, many of who are struggling for the last 29 years, said the NCA on June 12 gave the permission to raise the height of the dam to the final height of 138.68 metres based on the claims made by the State governments without independently verifying the status. “We want to know what is the legal basis for giving the permission to raise the height ignoring the claims of displaced people in the affected States, including 245 villages in Madhya Pradesh alone?” asked the project-affected people who are on protest at Jantar Mantar here. It is learnt that the NCA, in its emergency meeting, said the permission to raise the height of the dam will would only allow completion of civil works and leave the gates open on raised position. Official figures say that of the 46,749 project-affected families from the Narmada dam, 46,498 have been resettled. Of these 4,765 have been resettled in Gujarat and 3,976 families displaced in Maharashtra have been settled in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Of the 37,757 families displaced in Madhya Pradesh, 32,233 have been resettled in the State itself and 5,524 in Gujarat. Questioning the decision to allow raising the height of the

dam, the Narmada Bachao Andolan asked whether this was done to derail the judicial inquiry into the Rs.1000-crore resettlement scam in Madhya Pradesh? (The Hindu 25/6/14) Govt moves to tweak land acquisition law (4) NEW DELHI: The Centre has called a meeting with states on Friday to discuss possible changes to be made to the land acquisition law, prompting the Congress to accuse BJP of shifting goalposts on farmers' interests within nine months of backing the law in Parliament. Rural Development minister Nitin Gadkari will meet state revenue ministers who deal with land acquisition to discuss the law. Officials said the states are yet to frame the rules to implement the law and they would form the core of the discussions. With the NDA government having earlier dubbed the law as impeding industrialization and Gadkari himself having promised amendments soon, the meeting is being seen as a move in the direction of softening some of the provisions opposed by the industry and the corporates. Jairam Ramesh, who piloted the bill in UPA-II, said Gadkari was going against his predecessor in rural development ministry Gopinath Munde. "Gadkari does not have the same approach to the new land acquisition law as his predecessor Munde who had gone on record to support the law strongly and committed himself to its strict enforcement," the former minister told TOI. The sensitive land law has polarized opinions. Having been paraded as a fair deal for landowners, it lays down elaborate procedures of taking over land, limits the unbridled powers the governments enjoyed earlier, insists on resettlement of displaced persons ahead of acquisition and even lays down higher compensation norms. On the other hand, the industry has opposed many provisions as inimical to their interests, warning that these would hurt growth. Any bid to amend the law is likely to result in claims that the government was putting the interest of industry over farmers. Officials sought to dispel the notion that the government was looking to appease corporates. "Even farmers have expressed reservations about the Act. The government would look into the issues holistically and see what needs to be done," an official said. Ramesh said he did not know what amendments Gadkari was contemplating but reminded that the law was passed with "huge acclaim in September 2013 and his colleagues Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shankar Prasad, apart from Munde, had played an active role in ensuring smooth passage." He said BJP was giving up its stance in favour of land law in just nine months without testing it over a reasonable period of time. "Gadkari should know that four recent judgements of the Supreme Court have upheld the new law," the Congress leader said. (Times of India 26/6/14) Land Act: State wants changes (4) Mumbai: Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat has suggested to the Centre to make some changes in the Land Acquisition Act so that projects do not get halted and project-affected people (PAP) get justice. The minister gave a presentation to Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari last week in Delhi about provisions in the Act that needed to be changed. “There is no doubt that the Act passed by then UPA government was revolutionary and provided more compensation to project-affected people than before. However, there are some technical difficulties we are facing while implementing it in the state, and I have suggested to the Centre to clear these hurdles,” Mr Thorat said. The minister said that in projects where land acquisition is required, the PAP’s should get compensation as per the new Act. “The farmers should be compensated properly as land, his sole income source, is acquired for the projects. We want the Act to cover projects which are underway,” he added. There are many lands acquired by the government, mostly for dams, which are lying unused as either the projects have been cancelled or could not take place. “I have told them to return those lands to the farmers so that they can benefit from it. Also, the government is not using them and the lands are lying unused,” he said, adding the new Act should have more positive amendments. Union minister Mr Gadkari had last week hinted at bringing changes in the Land Acquisition Act, as its stringent provisions were delaying projects. The Act passed by the then UPA government was considered landmark as it emphasised on land not being forcibly taken away from farmers and ensured adequate compensation and rehabilitation to owners. “The present Land Acquisition

Act, with its stringent provisions, discourages coming up of any project,” Mr Gadkari had said. He, however, said that due compensation for land should not halt projects. “There can be no compromise on compensation and rehabilitation,” he had added. (Asian Age 30/6/14)

'New Land Acquisition Act tough to implement' (4) PANAJI: The new central Land Acquisition Act, passed during the earlier UPA government, may either be amended or totally revamped as most states in India have cited difficulties in implementing it, deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza told TOI on Tuesday. D'Souza, who is also the state revenue minister, made the statement after returning from the all-India revenue ministers' conference in Delhi recently. The revenue minister said that the conference took a review of the new Land Acquisition Act and that all the states are unhappy about the act. "Although the Congress government said it is a good legislation, practically it is impossible to use it. The North-Eastern states have demanded that the Land Acquisition Act be withdrawn, because they claimed that theirs is community land," said D'Souza. Asked if there were any provisions in the act which affected Goa adversely, D'Souza said that small states had their own problems. For example, the act has a provision whereby when land is acquired, the people whose land has been acquired have to be rehabilitated. So the government will have to acquire additional land to rehabilitate the affected people. "That is not practical in Goa, because we do not have land here. If we need 10,000 sq m, we will have to acquire 20,000 sq m," D'Souza said. The government had said that cases after January 1, 2014, would be processed under the new Land Acquisition Act. But under the new act, the acquisition proposal has to be put up before the gram sabhas and it has to be approved by 70% of those present. "If land were to be acquired along the highway from Mapusa to Margao for road widening, there are numerous villages all along the length of this road. We would have to go to the gram sabhas of all the villages and get 70% approval from all gram sabhas. I have told Nitin Gadkari, who is holding charge after Munde's death, that we will never be able to acquire land," D'Souza said. Also, the proposal has to be looked at by a social impact assessment committee, comprising a team of social scientists and other people. Having heard views of 29 states on the act, most of which were similar, the Centre will take a decision on whether to amend or revamp the act. "Most states have echoed the sentiment that while the act is theoretically okay, practically we will not be able to do any fast-track acquisition" said the deputy chief minister. Asked if the delay in implementing the act would affect Goa, D'Souza answered in the affirmative. "The Centre was supposed to frame rules for the act and send them to the states. These rules have not been sent yet. Rules give details of the procedure to be followed in the implementation of the act,"he said. (Times of India 2/7/14) NBA slams reported nod to raise height of Sardar Sa rovar dam (4) NEW DELHI: The Narmada Bachao Andolan on Saturday criticised as “dubious and misleading” a government press release which stated that the Narmada Control Authority had given the nod for phase I of the Sardar Sarovar Project. The Press Information Bureau issued a statement, purportedly from the Ministry of Water Resources, on July 3. The proposal for the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. comprised construction of piers, overhead bridges and installation of gates at the dam. The NBA has demanded a review of the decision to increase the dam height to 138 metres. The release also said in the absence of the NCA’s permission, construction work at the dam site in Kevadia colony had come to a standstill. It maintained that the dam had, for lack of gates, been overflowing for the last two months. The installation of spillway piers would take the dam to its full height of 138 metres. The PIB statement comes after the NCA on June 12 cleared an eight-year-old proposal to increase the height of the SSP by 17 metres. The NBA has challenged the contention that the dam has been overflowing for the last two months. Quoting recent media reports, the NBA statement said that on June 21, low water-flow had forced the SSNNL authorities to shut down the River Bed Power House. The NBA reiterated the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award’s clauses on submergence and rehabilitation, according to which all

affected families must be rehabilitated six months prior to the start of construction work. After the agitation by displaced persons in June, there was a meeting with the Union Water Resources Minister on June 24, who promised to direct NCA officials to verify the rehabilitation status. The government should have given information on the unfinished agenda of resettlement and rehabilitation as per the law and Supreme Court directives, the NBA statement observed. (The Hindu 6/7/14) BJP farmers' wing wants land acquired for SEZs retu rned (4) CHANDIGARH: Apparently to woo Haryana's strong farming community ahead of the state assembly elections, BJP's farmers wing on Saturday demanded return of around 8,000 acres of land bought by different companies in the name of special economic zones (SEZs) to the tillers in the national capital region (NCR) area in the state. To press for the demand, BJP Kisan Morcha-led by its president Om Prakash Dhankhar on Saturday started a cycle march from a village Ghadhauli of Gurgaon district. The march would conclude at Jhajjar on Sunday. "Reliance and other companies had bought the land at the rate of Rs 22 lakh to Rs 32 lakh per acre while showing big dreams of development and employment. But no development took place in the area and now forest cows are wandering in this area," he added. The farmers leader said that the land bought from the farmers was now being sold at the rate of Rs 2 crore to Rs 6 crore per acre. "As per land sealing act, no company can buy the land beyond 54 acres but in Haryana private companies have bought thousands of acres of land," he added. "If BJP comes to power in the state, we would ask these companies to return the land to the farmers or we would take action," Dhankhar announced. The BJP leader said that they want that the land acquired by the government or bought by companies in the name of special economic zone should be returned to the farmers because SEZs have failed to take off here. Haryana state industrial and infrastructure development corporation (HSIDC) had transferred 1383.68 acres land to the Reliance for the joint project of HSIDC and Reliance few years back. Six months back, the state cabinet approved the proposal for reversal of this land peace. (Times of India 7/7/14) Raigad farmers to protest forceful land acquisition (4) NAVI MUMBAI: Farmers from 78 villages of Mangaon, Roha and Tala tehsil in Raigad district will be protesting on Wednesday against the alleged forceful land acquisition for Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project. The farmers, who are organized under the banner of Anti-Corridor Struggle Action Committee, will protest the acquisition of 67,500 acres for the Dighi Port Industrial area in Raigad district. They claim that the agitation is to save their agricultural land and livelihoods. They will march to the Sub Divisional Office of the land acquisition authority located at Mangoan in the morning. A member of the committee, Ulka Mahajan said, "The project will render farmers from 78 villages landless and also snatch away their allied livelihood. All the panchayats have unanimously resolved not to give away their land. They have been agitating for 18 months." She added that the Central government and the then-CEO of the DMIC asked the state government to drop Dighi Port from DMIC project. Despite this move, the state government is acquiring the land, 'without the consent of the land owners'. Mahajan added, "The authorities are threatening to amend the clause under the new Land Acquisition Act (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013). It states that unless 70% of the farmers from the area give consent for the land acquisition, no land can be acquired. The farmers have no choice but to agitate. Local MLAs and activists will also be joining the protest." Another farmer, S Bhoir from Vichumbe village said that the compensation package should include job opportunities for the Project Affected Persons or family members. (Times of India 9/7/14) Goverment to focus on SEZ revival (4) Finance minister Arun Jaitley expressed the government’s commitment to revive special economic zones (SEZs) as he said it would take “effective steps” to make them instruments of industrial production, economic growth, export promotion and employment generation. At the same time, he also informed that

he was assured the public sector units (PSUs) would invest through capital investment “a total sum of Rs 2,47,941 crore”. “For achieving this, effective steps would be undertaken to operationalise the SEZs to revive the investors’ interest to develop better infrastructure and to effectively and efficiently use the available unutilised land,” the finance minister said. Of the total 47,803 hectares of SEZ land notified, only 17,689 have been put to use so far, according to ministry of commerce and industry data. Once major export and manufacturing hubs, SEZs started losing sheen after the imposition of minimum alternate tax (MAT) and dividend distribution tax (DDT) in 2011 on them. Meanwhile, insisting to give a thrust to investment in the economy, Mr Jaitley said, “PSUs will also play their part constructively. I am assured that PSUs will invest through capital investment a total sum of Rs 2,47,941 crores in current financial year to create a virtuous investment cycle.” Proposing to provide greater autonomy to public sector banks, the minister said these lenders would require Rs 2.40 lakh crore capital by 2018 to meet global Basel III norms. “To be in line with the Basel III norms, there is requirement to infuse Rs 2.40 lakh crore as equity by 2018 in our banks (public sector banks). To meet this huge capital requirement, we need to raise additional resources to fill this obligation,” he said. A large part of this fund would be raised through public offers made to retail customers, Mr Jaitley said. (Asian Age 11/7/14) Neglected, Patana Families Await Govt Help (4) PARADIP: It has not been a smooth sailing for the 34 families who returned to their village, Patana, last month after staying in exile for almost seven years. Banished from their village by anti-Posco activists for supporting the South Korean Steel major’s proposed steel plant, they had been staying in the company’s transit colony from 2007. As the situation normalised, they decided to return to Patana a month back. The villagers were excited ahead of their return as they had been assured by the anti-Posco members that no harm would be done to them. But with no roof over their head and devoid of basic facilities, their homecoming has not been a happy affair. With their houses damaged by activists of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) during the peak of anti-Posco stir, their only shelter now are polythene tents. Housing assistance by the State Government either under Indira Awas Yojana or Mo Kudia scheme continues to elude them. A month back, all they had got from the local administration was a sustenance allowance of `2,400 and a polythene sheet for each family to take care of emergency operations during the transition. “We had supported Posco in 2007 for which we were thrown out of our village. And now when we returned, the administration has rewarded us with a meagre cash amount and a polythene sheet,” said former village chief, Suresh Muduli. Another villager, Pradip Mohanty, said they committed a mistake by supporting the decision for a steel plant. “Those who had opposed the project are living peacefully now, but we have been left to fend for ourselves both by the Government and Posco company,” he said. Mohanty’s betel vines and house were set afire by anti-Posco activists in 2007. “We have to begin from scratch to earn a living because all our properties have been destroyed by PPSS members. Now, we neither have roof over our head nor money to rebuild our houses,” said Manguli Rout, another villager. Surprisingly, even the PPSS members have now come out in support of these families. Woman leader of PPSS, Manorama Khatua, said it is a matter of regret that neither the district administration nor Posco has come forward to help these families in rebuilding their lives. Erasama Block Development Officer, Subodh Acharya, said administration had taken steps to provide housing assistance to the 34 families under Indira Awas Yojana. “The financial aid has already been sanctioned by the Government and it will be disbursed to them very soon,” he informed. (New Indian Express 12/7/14) Rural Ministry suggests industry-friendly changes i n Land Act (4) New Delhi: The Rural Development Ministry has suggested a number of amendments to the Land Acquisition Act which would water down pro-farmer provisions like mandatory consent of at least 70% locals for acquiring land for PPP projects and 80% for acquiring land for private projects. The Land Acquisition Act enacted during the UPA government is likely to go undergo drastic changes if Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives nod for Rural Development Ministry's proposals which also include dilution

of a key clause of Social Impact Assessment study criticised by states as time consuming for industrialisation process. "The Consent Clause (Section 2(2)) should be re-examined as ownership of land vests with the Government in PPP projects. The consent clause should be removed from PPP projects. Alternatively, consent requirement may be brought down to 50%," says the Ministry in its note sent to the PMO. It says that "mandatory Social Impact Assessment study should be done away with. SIA should be confined to large projects/PPP Projects as it may delay acquisition process." It has also suggested amendment to another key provision on acquisition of "multi-cropped irrigated land"."The provision to safeguard food security (Section 10) by development of culturable wastelands in lieu of acquisition of multi-cropped irrigated land needs to be amended as States like Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand do not have any wasteland for the purpose," it says. The Ministry's suggestions for drastic changes in the Act came after most of the states recently came out openly against the new Act, complaining that it had hurt the process of acquiring land for infrastructure projects. They have demanded "drastic changes" in certain provisions of the law. At a meeting of State Revenue Ministers here chaired by Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari, the states including Congress-ruled Haryana objected to provisions for mandatory consent and Social Impact Assessment study, which are made mandatory in all land acquisitions. (Business Standard 15/7/14) Opposition demands white paper on Polavaram project (4) BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Janata Dal Government was blamed by opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in the State Assembly on Tuesday with both parties alleging that it lacked adequate data on the controversial Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project. Senior legislators of Congress and BJP demanded that the government should place a white paper on the possible impact the irrigation project will have on the State. The BJD had on Monday observed a hartal in four districts in south Odisha apprehending that a large number of tribal people will be displaced and vast tracts of land will be submerged in Malkangiri district when the project comes up in Andhra Pradesh. The BJD legislators had also disrupted the Assembly proceedings on Monday and submitted a memorandum to the Governor over the Polavaram issue. Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra told the House during zero hour that the government should place facts stating how the project would affect the State and how many tribal villages would be affected. The senior Congress legislator also demanded that the issue should be discussed threadbare in the Assembly after the government placed a white paper. Senior BJP legislator and party’s State unit president K. V. Singh Deo also made a similar demand and said that his party will stand by the State government if Polavaram project would actually have any adverse impact on the tribal peole in Malkangiri district. (The Hindu 16/7/14) Fear of fresh bid for bauxite mining haunts tribal people (4) VISAKHAPATNAM: Attention maybe turned to exploration of bauxite ore after opening floodgates to greater private participation in coal mining by the National Democratic Alliance Government. The mining lobby, which was lying low for quite sometime after the UPA-II put in abeyance all clearances accorded to bauxite mining in the Scheduled Areas of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari, has stepped up its effort to revive their projects by sourcing the raw material through the AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC). Anti-mining activists fear that the government might allow mining bauxite ore for the projects planned by Anrak Aluminium Limited, Jindal South West Aluminium Limited and NALCO. These projects are in the pipeline with a total investment of around Rs.25,000 crore. “Post-bifurcation, the clearances obtained earlier won’t hold good. A new Tribal Advisory Committee should be set up. Gram sabha mandate is also a pre-requisite going by Supreme Court’s landmark order against Vedanta’s mining plan in Niyamgiri hills in Odisha,” Samata executive director Rebbapragda Ravi said. Several applications by the tribal people for allotment of pattas in the mining areas are pending under Forest Rights Act. “Only after approval from gram sabhas and clearance of applications under FRA, one should take up any plan for reviving mining,” said tribal activist B. David. The Ministry of Mining suspended all the clearances in

August 2010 after a strong representation submitted by then Araku MP V. Kishore Chandra Deo that mining in Scheduled Areas would cause an ecological disaster. Now there is fear among tribal people that mining may start anytime. AAL, a joint venture of Ras-al-Khaimah Investment Authority and Penna Cements and JSW Aluminium Ltd belonging to Jindal Group, have already signed Memoranda of Understanding for getting the raw material through APMDC several years ago. A senior official told The Hindu that mining by APMDC would not violate 1/70 of Land Transfer Regulation Act. (The Hindu 21/7/14) 1839 ha forest land diverted for 15 industries (4) Bhubaneswar: Forest land measuring 1838.79 hectares (ha) has been diverted for 15 industrial projects in the state between 2004 and 2013. A written reply by Bikram Arukh, minister for forest & environment in the assembly reveals that the forest land has been diverted for project proponents like Posco India, Essar Steel, Aditya Aluminium, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), Bhushan Steel & Power Ltd (BSPL) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) to name a few. To facilitate establishment of an integrated steel plant by Posco India, 1253.22 ha forest land has been diverted under Rajnagar wildlife division in Jagatsinghpur district. For setting up of an integrated steel complex with a captive power plant (CPP) by JSPL at Angul, 168.23 ha forest land has been diverted. The quantum of forest land given to other industries include BSPL (59.16 ha), Aditya Aluminium (119.26 ha), Shyam DRI Power (38.39 ha) and Bhushan Steel & Strips (61.47 ha). In lieu of the forest land allotted to industries, funds worth Rs 161.33 crore have been deposited in the Ad-hoc CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority) account. The funds have been deposited under various heads, such as net present value (NPV), compensatory afforestation and wildlife management. (Business Standard 22/7/14) Government can review Land Acquisition Act: Nitin G adkari (4) NEW DELHI: In a significant development, the government today expressed its willingness to review certain provisions of the Land Acquisition Act which was projected as one of the landmark laws brought out by the UPA. The Act has faced criticism from various quarters including some states. "We can review the Land Acquisition Act... if there is co-operation from your side," Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha, adding that certain provisions could be re-considered. However, he emphasised that the whole effort should not result in delaying road projects. He was replying to the discussion on Demands for Grants for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Gadkari also holds the portfolio of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping. According to the Minister, there would be no compromise on the compensation amount to be given to people displaced by land acquisition, the Minister noted. Recently, the Rural Development Ministry suggested a number of amendments to the Land Acquisition Act which would water down pro-farmer provisions like mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent locals for acquiring land for PPP projects and 80 per cent for acquiring land for private projects. The Act enacted during the UPA government is likely to go undergo drastic changes if Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives nod for the Ministry's proposals which also include dilution of a key clause of Social Impact Assessment study criticised by states as time consuming for industrialisation process. "The Consent Clause (Section 2(2)) should be re-examined as ownership of land vests with the Government in PPP projects. The consent clause should be removed from PPP projects. Alternatively, consent requirement may be brought down to 50 per cent," the Ministry had said in its note sent to the PMO. The Ministry's suggestions for drastic changes in the Act came after most of the states recently came out openly against the new Act, complaining that it had hurt the process of acquiring land for infrastructure projects. At a recent meeting of State Revenue Ministers chaired by Gadkari, the states including Congress-ruled Haryana objected to provisions for mandatory consent and Social Impact Assessment study. (The Economic Times 23/7/14) Govt to Reclaim Land Not Utilised for 7 Years (4)

BANGALORE: The Assembly on Friday passed a land reforms amendment Bill which enables the government to take back the land allotted if it is not utilised for its intended purpose within seven years. The House debated at length the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which inserted a sub-section to Section 109 in the parent Act to empower the government to reclaim the land. Under this law, if industries, educational institutions, places of worship or housing projects do not use the allotted land within the prescribed time, it has to be surrendered to the land bank of the government. Failure to do so would result in the cancellation of the exemption and also loss of compensation. The Bill also inserted another sub-section to Section 95, stating that permission for conversion of agricultural land for industrial development, educational or any other purpose will be granted subject to payment of fees as prescribed. Tabling the Bill, Revenue Minister V Srinivasa Prasad said the procedures under the current Act are time-consuming, and it is necessary to simplify them in the interest of investors and entrepreneurs. Opposition leader and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar urged the government to delegate powers to regional commissioners to reduce the burden on deputy commissioners. BJP member Basavaraj Bommai said the government should incorporate riders in the Act to bifurcate areas zone-wise, and impose restrictions on allotment of land. He said instead of giving absolute powers to politicians and bureaucrats, the Act should be made powerful to ensure that the government has control over land allotment. He said there should be restrictive clauses to stop the real estate lobby from taking advantage of the provisions. Citing cases, he said there are instances where companies have acquired over 3,000 acres in the guise of setting up cement factories and are yet to execute the work.The Congress government, which introduced land reforms for the welfare of the poor and the farmers, should not carry the blame for burying the historic Act, he said. Jagadish Kumar (BJP) said there is a need for a mechanism to check the land requirements of companies. Congress MLA Thukaram said former minister Janaradhan Reddy acquired 5,000 acres to set up a steel plant paying just `5 lakh compensation. The revenue minister replied that the implementation of the UPA government’s Land Acquisition Act will keep a check on land acquisition from farmers. (New Indian Express 26/7/14) Anti-globalization Action Committee opposes changes in land acquisition Act (4) PUNE: The Anti-globalization Action Committee (AAC) will launch a mass agitation on August 7 in protest against the central government's move to amend the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The members of the committee, which was formed to protect farmers' rights, met here on Wednesday to decide on the future course of action. Ulka Mahajan, one of the conveners of the committee, said the AAC will launch the agitation on August 7 at Gorai, near Mumbai, and will also stage a dharna in Mumbai on August 13. The AAC is mainly against the proposed amendments to two key provisions: ?Consent' and ?Social Impact Assessment' of the Right to Fair Compensation, Transparency in Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. "The Act came into force after a long struggle by farmers. It may not be the best, but it is definitely better than the one drafted during the British rule. Huge tracts of fertile land have been acquired in the past at throw away prices and given to private and public corporations in the name of public purpose and industrialization. The existing Act helps farmers to protect their land. However, the first step the Modi government has taken is to amend it to facilitate industrialists and capitalists," Mahajan said. She asked the government to come out with a policy precisely stating how much land should be kept ?under agriculture' to feed the nation. "The government is eager to acquire land and devastate farmers. We are going to oppose any move that aims to grab farmers' land," she said. Questioning government's plan to build 100 smart cities, she said: "The government should make it clear as to who will benefit from these cities." AAC members said it will be a retrograde step if we were to go back to the colonial process of land acquisition with no regard to the impact on people, environment and democratic institutions. Another member, Suniti Su Ra, said the AAC will approach other organizations in the country to launch a comprehensive agitation in future. (Times of India 31/7/14)

‘Land acquisition challenge is against public inter est’ (4) Bhubaneswar: The Odisha High Court has commenced hearing of challenge of acquisition of land by the State Government for the Idco for Sahara Power. The challenge has been made by a group of villagers involving around 38 acres of land. In the process, the entire acquired land, despite grant of sublease, has not been handed over by the Idco to the power infrastructure company. Appearing for Sahara Power, Senior Advocate Jayant Das, assisted by advocate Aditya Das, contended that the challenge is not maintainable and is motivated because none of the petitioners had raised any objection in accordance with law under Section 5A of the LA Act. Secondly, the acquisition of the entire area has been completed; the land has vested in the State; the State has granted the lease in the Idco’s favour, and the Idco, in turn, has granted sublease in favour of the company. Thirdly, all other points raised by the petitioners regarding colourable exercise of power have been repelled by the High Court in a recent judgment relating to another power infrastructure project, Das argued. Das also relied upon the judgments of the Supreme Court in the case of Swaika Corporation, Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure Corporation and Diamond Bar in Prativa Nema. He wanted to proceed to argue on merits. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice Pradeep Kumar Mohanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty expressed the opinion that it would be appropriate to deal with the preliminary objections regarding the maintainability of the writ petitions. The counsel for the petitioners wanted to examine the judgments relied upon by Das, including the recent one of the High Court. The matter has been adjourned to be called after a week for further hearing and final disposal. (Pioneer 3/8/14) Rights Panel Directs Govt to Pay Compensation to La nd Losers (4) BALASORE: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the State Government to rectify the mistakes and illegalities committed during the execution of Reba and Kapali river renovation project following a report submitted by the Special Rapporteur. The apex human rights panel in its recent order has recommended to the Chief Secretary to ensure that all the land losers are paid compensation with interest and land revenue is not collected from them. Besides, socio-economic survey should be held to determine their entitlement for rehabilitation and alternative livelihood support. The Commission has also directed the Government to appoint a technical committee to examine the quality of renovation work with regard to river bank erosion, accumulation of rain water, flooding of villages due to gap in embankments, provision for sluice gates, construction of check dams, approach roads and bridges. Earlier, NHRC had issued a notice seeking a detailed report from the Chief Secretary while acting on a petition filed by rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy. In the petition, Tripathy had stated that the executing authorities of the Government flouted the laws relating to land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement and environment without conducting socio-economic survey. On gram sabhas of the affected villagers, Tripathy had mentioned that the villagers, who had lost their land, standing crop and trees, were not heard by any Government official. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, NHRC deputed Special Rapporteur Damodar Sarangi to investigate the matter. Sarangi visited the affected areas in December last year and interacted with the victims besides seeking clarification from the Government over the large-scale human rights violation. In his comprehensive report, he stated that the quality of renovation work is of poor standard and sluice gates, approach roads are not being constructed for which flood water enters to the villages. Though a committee constituted by the State Government for inquiring into the complaints found that the executing agencies had damaged private land without due process of law, no compensation has been provided to the victims so far. The NHRC took a serious view after considering the report submitted by Sarangi. (New Indian Express 6/8/14) Scrapping key UPA measures: Rajasthan drafts biz-fr iendly land acquisition Act (4) JAIPUR: After radical changes in labour laws, the Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government is firming up plans for a new land acquisition Act that seeks to facilitate speedier acquisition of land for industry and government by scrapping some key measures, notably those requiring consent of landowners, that form

part of legislation passed by UPA last year. While relaxing the consent provisions, the desert state's version of the law will hike the quantum of compensation to incentivise purchase of land from owners. According to senior officials involved in the drafting process, the new law will get rid of a provision requiring consent of 70% to 80% (in case of private projects) of land owners and a requirement to carry out a Social Impact Assessment Study ( SIA). These relaxations will apply to "Core Infrastructure Projects" such as roads, power lines, bridges and pipelines regardless of whether these are being implemented by the public or the private sector. However, to incentivise owners to part with their lands, the quantum of compensation will be increased from two to two-and-a-half of the prevailing rates for urban areas and from four to four-and-a-half for rural areas. "We are not against farmers or land-owners at all. We are against processes which increase delay in acquiring land. By enhancing compensation, we will ensure land owners get a better deal as well as the project proponents who, under the current law, will otherwise have to wait for 4 years and 10 months, which is a huge delay and adds to costs. The burden of these high costs is eventually borne by the consumers, so why let that happen?" a senior official argued. Rural Development Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, who headed a three-member ministerial group which vetted the proposed legislation, said the draft was sent to the CMO late last week and it is now for Raje to take a call on which measures to approve. "We have proposed to clarify the urban and rural boundaries more clearly to help identify lands better. The minimum expectation is that owners should get more rates than what is mentioned in the DLC. We have also proposed a ceiling on the quantum of land which can be acquired by one project proponent in both rural and urban areas — for the former it is 1000 hectares and for the latter it is 200 hectares," Kataria said. Industry has been critical of the consent and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) clauses of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which is currently in force. While the industry has sought reducing the percentage of landowners whose consent is required from 70% to 60% or 50% and limiting the SIAs to only large projects (more than 500 acres in area), a higher quantum of compensation may not be to their liking. The complete doing away of these contentious measures is also certain to invite criticism from farmers groups and other organisations fighting against forcible land acquisition. The senior official cited earlier said that a draft of the proposed legislation will be uploaded on the government's website soon after the Chief Minister's Office clears it, which could be on Monday or Tuesday. (The Economic Times 11/7/14) Displaced tribals landless and poor: panel Bangalore: Majority of the displaced tribal families of the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park area in three taluks of Mysore and Kodagu districts have become landless agricultural labourers and pushed to poverty, a three-member Karnataka High Court committee has said. The committee, headed by Muzaffar Assadi, professor at University of Mysore, noted that only 24.54 per cent (838) of the displaced tribal families owned land. The small size of landholding had failed to alleviate them from poverty. A majority of the tribals were left in the lurch,” the committee report said. The Nagarahole National Park was renamed Rajiv Gandhi National Park in 1992 and was declared Nagarahole Tiger Reserves in 2001. Following this, many tribals had to leave the core park area. The committee was asked “to look into the actual number of families and persons displaced or forced to leave their original habitat on account of establishment of the park”. The committee said that tribals such as Jenu Kurubas, Soligas, Yeravas, Betta Kurubas and Paniyara Yeravas were most affected by the displacement. The panel in its 130-page report titled ‘On the tribal issues of Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park Area’ (July 2014), which was submitted to the High Court and the State government, revealed that families cultivating land have not been able to obtain formal credit owing to allotment of bagair hukum and gomal land. Many families had been denied ownership of land as it lies with the government. Denial of formal credit has forced the tribals to “fall back on private lenders for loans in the form of seeds and fertilizers. This might lead to perpetual indebtedness,” the report said. Under project tiger, the State had spent only 70.37 per cent of the Rs. 24.39 crore sanctioned by the Centre during 2007-08 to 2013-14. Under the tribal sub-plan and special

component plan of the State, only 53.56 per cent of the Rs. 32.69 crore was utilised. The panel recommended granting of fertile lands for displaced tribals, construction of quality houses and inclusion of the families into the below poverty line list. It suggested that the government provide basic facilities such as hospitals, drinking water and electricity in relocated villages. (The Hindu 11/8/14) Odisha plans 50,000 acre land bank for industries BHUBANESWAR: With land acquisition posing a major hurdle in rapid industrialization, plans are afoot to develop a land bank of at least 50,000 acres as a key initiative for development of industrial infrastructure in Odisha. The Industries department along with the Industrial Development Corporation Limited (IDCO) and Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL) has been directed to carry forward the initiatives in a time bound manner, an official said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, according to an official release, chief secretary G C Pati, while reviewing the activities of Industry Department at a high level meeting on Monday, directed the officials to develop a land bank of at least 50,000 acres for public and industrial purposes. The department has also been asked to work out definite work strategy for land acquisition in the light of the new Land Acquisition Act, it said. Stressing on streamlining of single window mechanism, Pati directed that IPICOL single window meetings be held more frequently to address the pending issues of cleared proposals. The chief secretary has sought focus on development of downstream and value addition industries in clusters. He indicated that all the steel plants should be asked to promote downstream industries and at least 25 per cent of the steel produced in Odisha should be put to value addition in downstream industries. The department has been asked to deploy dedicated teams for each industrial cluster with firm date lines for milestones to be accomplished. Odisha has been one of the top three states which attracted investment in the last decade. Capacity addition in various key sectors in the last decade has ranged from 3 to 12 times, it said. At present IDCO is facilitating around 226 industrial projects in the state. Around 106 industrial estates/parks have been initiated. The industrial parks like Infovalley-IT & ESDM Park Bhubaneswar, Electronic Hardware Manufacturing Park Bhubaneswar, INFO park, Bio-Tech Park Bhubaneswar, Aluminum Park Angul, Mega Food park at Rayagada, Plastic Cluster at Balasore and Paradeep, Sea Food Cluster at Deras, Kalinganagar Steel Hub, PCPIR, Paradeep and Special Investment Region at Dhamara have been launched, it said. (Times of India 12/8/14) 900 crore disbursed to DMIC beneficiaries AURANGABAD: The district administration has so far disbursed altogether Rs 900 crore of the Rs 1,314 crore as compensation to the beneficiaries under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project. The administration has acquired 2,263 hectares of land at Bidkin in the second phase of land acquisition process. District land acquisition officer, Ravindra Pawar, said,"The second phase of land acquisition process in five villages at Bidkin for DMIC project had begun two months back. Of the total 2263.39 hectares notified for acquisition, 1558.99 hectares has been acquired and Rs 900 crore has been disbursed to the beneficiaries." He said, "The administration is expecting an additional Rs 100 crore from the government by Thursday. The fund distribution and land acquisition process will move parallel." "The administration would receive Rs 1,314 from the state government which would be disbursed to around 666 beneficiaries under the Land Acquisition Act. The state government had approved Rs 23 lakh per acre as land rate," said Pawar. In the first phase 555 hectares of land at Karmad was acquired in October 2012, in which the beneficiaries were offered Rs 23 lakh per acre. After completing the first phase of land acquisition under the DMIC project, the district administration started the process for the second phase. Land acquisition in the second phase was carried out in five villages ? Bidkin, Banni Tanda, Bangal Tanda, Nilajgaon and Nandalgaon. In Phase-I, the DMIC project — which is rated as the largest infra project — will see development of seven new industrial cities namely Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region in Uttar Pradesh, Manesar-Bawal Investment Region in Haryana, Khushkhera-Bhiwadi-Neemrana Investment Region in Rajasthan, Pithampur-Dhar-Mhow Investment Region in Madhya Pradesh,

Ahmedabad-Dholera Investment Region in Gujarat and Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Park city and Dighi Port Industrial Area, both in Maharashtra. Plans for all these cities have been finalized and work on the Dholera and Shendra-Bidkin investment regions is likely to begin this year. The deadline for the first phase is 2019. Once the state government completes land acquisition for a city project, DMICDC will incorporate SPVs to set up base infrastructure or trunk infrastructure ? such as water, power connections, drainage system, broadband network, roads and so on. Later, industry will be invited to invest in projects. The DMIC in Maharashtra covers Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Pune, Dhule & Nandurbar Districts and influences 18% of the total area of the state. Of all these cities covered, Aurangabad is part of the DMIC Early Bird project which includes Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Park and International Convention centre and has been proposed over an area of 8,340 hectares. The project, to be completed in three phases, will see the opening of many industries with players from national and international market joining the league. But with the process getting delayed it is feared that the deadline for the project will get extended. (Times of India 14/8/14) Tough reforms needed to make India a manufacturing hub: CEOs Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to launch a new manufacturing policy could transform India into an international manufacturing hub, giving tough competition to China. However, to realise this goal, reforms in labour laws, special economic zone policy, foreign direct investment rules, taxation policy, and land acquisition policy are very crucial, say CEOs. Though India has missed the bus, the country can still make an impact on the global manufacturing sector through innovation and reducing costs, they say. A M Naik, chairman, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), says India has virtually killed the manufacturing sector and to revive it is a multi-year task. "Modi has given his wish and vision and we hope he will simplify procedures. The government has been there for two months; give him at least a year. The whole sector has gone down badly, as today our manufacturing is less than 17 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product), while in China, it is 50 per cent, and in Malaysia, it is 40 per cent." Sunil Sikka, president of Havells India, says the labour arbitrage between India and China is gone. Chinese labourers are 50 to 60 per cent more productive than Indians but the wages are also higher by almost 70 per cent. "You cannot replace China as manufacturing hub, but India can certainly be an alternative in industries where application of skill is higher than assembling competencies." CEOs say the Chinese and Indian economy were almost similar during the 1980s. But China took a giant step forward by making its manufacturing sector the main engine of its economy. M S Unnikrishnan, MD and CEO, Thermax, says Modi's intention is very good but there should be action now. "Indian companies have inherent advantages against the rest of the world. We will have one of the largest workforces by 2025 and also the biggest market after China. With the consumption base for market place, it has the advantage of becoming an export hub for exports as well," he adds. Harshpati Singhania, director, JK Organisation and MD of JK Paper, was all praise for the prime minister's Independence Day speech. He says "An inspiring speech. Encouraging to see that the prime minister wants to involve all citizens, including the corporate sector in nation building. We promise to do our best." The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) says issues related to taxation, including introduction of a goods and services tax, easy land acquisition, faster approvals and trade policy need to be addressed to boost the manufacturing sector. "CII is happy to see high importance attached to manufacturing and investment. As PM said manufacturing is necessary for employment and for trade expansion," says Chandrajit Banerjee, director-general, CII. Sidharth Birla, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), says, "He (PM) gave importance to job-creation and tried to bring attention to all topics, such as cleanliness, women's security." (Business Standard 16/8/14) Madras HC dismisses PIL against Cheyyur Ultra Mega Power Project Chennai: The Madras High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the land acquisition process for the proposed 4,000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) in Cheyyur, stating that the plea of the petitioner to stay the process as the environmental issues related to the project are pending before

the National Green Tribunal, is not permissible. The Rs 24,200-crore Cheyyur ultra mega power project in Tamil Nadu is reportedly India's first coastal power plant to be bid out with an attached captive port. The High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan observed that the acquisition proceedings for the project started in May, 2010, and the land owners have been called upon to appear and collect the compensation in September, 2013 and 31 persons have already received compensation. The Court said, "In view of the aforesaid position, the plea of the petitioner that in larger public interest, the acquisition proceedings cannot go (which are substantially complete) on the ground that the issue of location of the Power Project inter alia is before the National Green Tribunal could not be permissible, nor in our view, a Public Interest Litigation in this form be entertained by a person who does not even have any interest in the land in question sought to be acquired." The dispute related to the environmental issues of project is pending with the the National Green Tribunal. The Court observed that the petitioner, K Saravanan, is not the land owner but claims to be an activist in the area. The acquisition of land in the present case is governed by a Special Act being the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997, where Chapter-II contains the Scheme for Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes. Notice of acquisition is to be given to a person interested in such land in terms of sub-section 2 of Section 3 of the said Act. Section 18 ousts the jurisdiction of a Civil Court to pass injunctive orders against the acquisition proceedings, said the Bench. The petition was to declare all the proceedings for identification of land, land acquisition commenced, notified and proceeded with by the respondents for the 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project in regard to the villages Cheyyur, Vedal, Chittarkadu, Gangadevankuppam, Vilangadu and Kokkaranthangal, Panaiyur in Cheyyur Taluk for the establishment of the Plant and Ash dyke and also the captive port are grossly illegal and invalid, ultra vires and void…. (Business Standard 19/8/14) Acquired land to be given back if not put to intend ed use in 5 years (4) MUMBAI: Land acquired under the new Land Acquisition Act, if lying idle for five years, will be returned to the original owner. In such cases, the state government will first issue a public notification asking if any government agency wants the land for a project. In the past the government has failed to return acquired land even decades after it failed to set up the project for which the land was acquired. Often such land has been sold to a private enterprise. These and other rules for implementing the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, were approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday even as the Centre is contemplating amendments to the act. A significant aspect of the rules is that consent, once given, cannot be withdrawn, said officials from the revenue and forests departments. Under the rules, a social impact assessment (SIA) in an area identified for a project will be done before seeking consent of the local residents. The government will draw up a list of accredited NGOs and training institutes that can carry out the SIA. The SIA report will be scrutinized by an expert group comprising the secretary, land acquisition, NGOs and members of the gram panchayat.Before starting the exercise for taking consent of residents for a project , the list of project-affected persons will be drawn up and made public. Consents will be digitally thumbed, as in case of the Aadhar card. (Times of India 21/8/14) 'Land Acquisition, Rehab,Major Concerns of Steel Se ctor' VISAKHAPATNAM: Land acquisition and rehabilitation of oustees are the two major problems ailing industrial growth, particularly the steel sector, felt P Madhusudan, chairman-cum-managing director of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited. He inaugurated the two-day international conference on Indian Steel Industry Vision-2025, organised by the publishers of the ‘Steel and Metallurgy’ magazine of Kolkata, here Thursday. Delivering the key-note address, the CMD said that India was endowed with rich resources like land, manpower and low cost of labour, but execution and coordination were the main hurdles. The execution needs a quick and fast approach, Madhusudan added. He said that an environment-friendly approach was also needed since for every tonne of steel produced, 5 tonnes of raw material were used.

This would impact the environment. The steel factories must protect ecological balance, he added. Madhusudan was optimistic that the steel companies would achieve the target of production of 300 million tonnes by 2025. He suggested the delegates and stakeholders to focus on issues like development of infrastructure relating to road, rail and ports. On the Visakhapatnam steel plant, spread over 1,900 acres and having produced 6.3 million tonnes of steel in the current year, the CMD said that the VSP would surpass production of 7.2 million tonnes by 2016-17. Stollberg India Private Limited managing director Bimal K Sarkar said that in the last convention, they fixed a target of 110 billion tonnes of steel by 2020. The current production is around 90 billion tonnes. The target can be easily achieved, Bimal said. Steel consumption was very low when the target was fixed but it has increased by leaps and bounds now. He hoped that the manufacturers would not only reach the next target but also surpass it. On the manganese alloys in India, Sarda Metals and Alloys Limited director (International Business) Manish Sarda said that with the best use of technology, India tops the world in the export of manganese alloys. He discussed some major issues relating to the productivity of these alloys in the country. He suggested the delegates to use higher grades of metals for making alloys. RINL director (Operations) DN Rao said that steel industry in the country was facing many challenges. He felt that while expansion was needed, the environmental and social issues should be taken care of as well. Rao foresaw a bright future for the RINL. Y Siva Sagar Rao, former CMD of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, hoped that the target would be reached with proper execution of works. Steel and Metallurgy Editor Nirmalaya Mukherjee and chief freight traffic manager of South Central Railway Raveen K Reddy were present. (New Indian Express 22/8/14) Andhra Pradesh frames land rules The Andhra Pradesh government has, in principle, decided to fix the cap on acquisition of land by private parties at 5,000 acres to avoid attracting the provisions of the new Land Acquisition Act 2013. At a high-level meeting held on the assembly premises on Saturday, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu gave the nod to officials to formulate the rules by fixing 5,000 acres as the upper cap for acquisition of land by private parties. Once the rules are finalised, any private firm or individual, who wants to acquire land, can do so up to 5,000 acres even if there is displacement of people and loss of livelihood. Though the government had considered the proposal to fix a higher cap of 10,000 acres, the chief minister curtailed the limit to avoid large-scale displacement of people. Officials said that with the new rules, the government may ask private parties to first acquire land and then enter into an agreement under the PPP mode with them. Meanwhile, the state government has also decided to fix the compensation in rural areas at 1.25 times the market value of the land. It will be 1.5 times the market value in scheduled areas. Apart from this, the state government has also decided to fix the percentage of total cultivated land to be acquired at 10. Officials felt that fixing district-wise percentage is not ideal for Andhra Pradesh as it has most of the land under cultivation. "Ten per cent will be applied across the state but not on district-basis," said a senior official. The CM has asked officials to frame the new rules and prepare a draft notification for discussion in the next cabinet meeting. The new Act specifies that the notification should be publicised to gather people's reactions. (Times of India 24/8/14) Medha Patkar opposed to amendments to new land act BHUBANESWAR: : Social activist Medha Patkar on Tuesday came down heavily on the Narendra Modi government over a move to amend key provisions in the Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Addressing a press conference here, Ms Patkar said, “The consent and ‘social impact assessment’ (SIA) provision of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency was introduced to do away with the anomalies in the colonial Act, since farmers and those dependent on the land were never consulted or made a participant in the process of development planning. Huge tracts of fertile land were acquired at throw away prices and given to private and public corporations in the name public purposes.” “It will be a retrograde step if we were to go to back to the colonial process of forced land

acquisition with no regard for impact of land acquisition on the people, environment and democratic institutions that need to be consulted and their consent taken in the process of SIA,” Ms Patkar said. The social activist said the new land acquisition act was a result of mass movements against forcible land acquisitions across the country, but the new government seemed to be in a hurry to facilitate land for industrial houses by trampling people’s resistance and ignoring forests and wildlife. Ms. Patkar, who is adviser of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), called upon people to stake their claim on their properties, which were acquired in pen and paper on basis of old Land Act, but was still under their possession. NAPM Convenor Prafulla Samantara informed that people resisting land acquisition would be made aware about their rights under the new Act. “No government could bulldoze people’s opinion,” said Mr. Samantara. (The Hindu 28/8/14)

Mistry visits Gopalpur to inspect Tata Medica hospi tal site (4) Berhampur: The displaced persons of Tata Steel's Gopalpur project, who have been agitating for higher compensation, today reiterated their demand before the company officials during the visit of Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry to the area. Mistry had come here to inspect the site of Tata Steel's proposed 500-bedded hospital at Sitalapalli, near the rehabilitation colony of the company's Gopalpur project. About 600 displaced persons are currently staying in the Tata Steel rehabilitation colony. They argue that the compensation they received when their land was acquired about 18 years back for a project of the steel major was meagre. Moreover, as the land is still not transferred to Tata Steel's name and they have been deprived of any job opportunity due to non-implementation of the project, they should be paid higher compensation and other benefits as per the latest Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy of the state government. "We want payment of Rs 15 lakh to each displaced family, fresh enumeration of the displaced persons, jobs and re-construction of the buildings and land patta of the houses in the rehabilitation colony", said P. Dalaya Reddy, president, Tata Rehabilitation Village Development Committee. The committee submitted a memorandum to the company officials during the visit of Mistry. It may be noted, the state-owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) had acquired around 3000 acres land near Gopalpur for establishment of a 10 million tonne steel plant by Tata Steel in mid-1990s. The company later shelved the steel project and announced to set up an Industrial Park with Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status there. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the Industrial Park in August 2010. But there is no progress on this project either and the land is lying mostly vacant. The company, meanwhile, has constructed a boundary wall around the acquired land. As an anchor investor of the proposed Industrial Park, Tata Steel proposed to set up a 55,000 tonne per annum (TPA) High Carbon Ferro-Chrome plant, 4, 00,000 TPA Rebar Mill at an investment of Rs 1000 crore. Sources said, these projects have recently received environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). To overcome the water problem at the site, the company also proposed to set up a desalination plant. When confronted by scribes on the progress of Gopalpur Industrial Park and SEZ during his visit to the area today, Mistry did not respond to the queries. On the proposed hospital at Sitalapalli, he, however, said, "We will continue to support Odisha for an integrated development".The hospital will come up over around 44-acres of land. It will start with 200 beds in the first phase and will gradually be scaled up to 500 beds. Initially, it will have Medicine, Surgery, Anesthesia, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Pediatrics, ENT, Pathology departments with ultra-modern ICU, Emergency Services including world class diagnostic facilities. Tata Steel has joined hands with 'Medica Hospitals', a Kolkata based healthcare specialist, for this project. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the hospital on February 20, 2014. Mistry also flagged off an advanced mobile medical unit for the area. Four more such units will be added to this service soon, said a company officials. Among others state's Higher Education minister, Pradip Panigrahi, and managing director, Tata Steel, TV Narendran accompanied Mistry during the visit. (Business Standard 2/9/14)

NHRC preparing to grapple with issues like displace ment, unhealthy environment… (4) NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is preparing to grapple with issues such as displacement, unhealthy environment and violation of labour laws by businesses as it seeks to sharpen its focus amid rapid industrialisation and increased economic activity. Besides, the commission plans to critically examine government policies framed for promoting business to ensure that these are not in conflict with human rights. This will be among its major focus areas in the next five years, when it is likely to conduct studies and send its suggestions to various government agencies. "Human rights violations due to business would be our prime focus in the coming years and the commission has already started studying the subject," said Rajesh Kishore, secretary general of NHRC. The commission has recently conducted a series of consultations with the industry representatives in this regard, he added. Protests over major nuclear, steel, power and other projects in various parts of the country drove the commission to alter its approach, officials said, adding that the NHRC had been receiving several complaints alleging that industries had created environmental problems, violated labour laws and displaced people. The commission has traditionally acted on a case-by-case basis without a broad framework for dealing with business-related human rights violations. Now it will examine the impact of government policies on public health, business practices, industrial processes and products, according to a report titled 'NHRC India on Business and Human Rights' submitted to the International Coordinating Committee for National Human Rights Institutions, an international association of national human rights institutions across the world. "NHRC would emphasis on state's duty to protect and ensure that those who are victimised have access to remedies," the report adds. NHRC receives many complaints every year which show government officials often fail in their duty to protect people's rights. (The conomic Times 4/9/14) Unwise to raise Narmada dam height: activists (4) NEW DELHI: Several academics and activists have expressed deep concern at the recent decision of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam by 16.76 metres. This will take the height to the designed final height of 138.68 metres. In a letter to Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, they said the NCA decision was unjustified and unwise as it would cause huge additional displacement, when rehabilitation of the people affected even at the current height is incomplete. The signatories to the letter are A.C. Bhagabati, A. Latha, A. Vaidyanathan, Achyut Das, Amita Baviskar, Ashish Kothari, Bharat Patankar, Brij Gopal, Devaki Jain, Dinesh Abrol, Dunu Roy, Ghanshyam Shah, Himanshu Thakkar, Himanshu Upadhyaya, K. J. Joy, Kanchan Chopra, M K Prasad, Mamata Dash, Manoj Mishra, N.C. Narayanan, Nafisa Bharot, Prashant Bhushan, Rajeswari Sarala Raina, Ramaswamy R. Iyer, S. Janakarajan, Sanjay Kak, Seema Kulkarni, Sharachchandra Lele, Shripad Dharmadhikary, Sudarshan Iyengar, Sudhirendar Sharma, Suhas Paranjape, Vimalbhai and Viren Lobo. (The Hindu 6/9/14) Yanamala-led panel on land acquisition for Capital (4) Hyderabad: The Cabinet sub-committee constituted to deal with land acquisition for building the capital city around Vijayawada would tour Krishna and Guntur districts soon after the budget session of the Assembly, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said here on Friday. In an informal chat with reporters in his chambers in the Assembly, Mr. Ramakrishnudu said land acquisition would be completed as early as possible and the infrastructure would be developed in a Public-Private Partnership mode. He said sub-committee members and Ministers P. Narayana, P. Pulla Rao and Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao had already started the exercise of framing the modalities and the committee would talk to farmers in the region. He said the government was not expecting any problem with regard to land acquisition and observed that a mega city like Mumbai did not witness any trouble while acquiring land for development. Mr. Ramakrishnudu said the 14 Finance Commission members would be interacting with him and Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu in Tirupati on September 12. He

said the Finance Department has approved the proposal to fill 7,700 vacancies of teachers posts. (The Hindu 6/9/14) Centre to cancel SEZs of 9 firms (4) New Delhi: Government is likely to cancel the approvals granted by it to nine companies including Hindalco Industries, Essar and Adani for setting up of SEZ as no work has been done to execute the projects. The development commissioners have recommended to the BoA to cancel these SEZ projects. The formal approval had been granted by BoA. “However, since there is no significant progress made by the developer/co-developer, the concerned DC has proposed for cancellation of formal approval granted to the developer,” the agenda of the BoA meeting said. The meeting is scheduled for September 18. Hindalco Industries has proposed to set up an aluminium product SEZ in Orissa. The formal approval to the developer was granted in July 2007. The developer was granted extension from time to time and the last extension granted has expired on December 31, 2013, according to BoA. “The developer did not make any request for extension. DC FSEZ had taken up the matter with the developer. “Since no communication has been received, DC has recommended for cancellation of formal approval of 115 hectare and in-principle approval for 740 hectare,” it said. Essar Jamnagar SEZ Ltd had proposed to set up a multi-product zone in Gujarat. The formal approval was expired in August 2009. The developer did not make any request for extension, it said, adding that the DC had taken up the matter with the developer but no communication has been received. Adani Townships & Real Estate Company Ltd had proposed an IT/ITeS zone in Gujarat. “The formal approval expired on June 11, 2010. The developer has reported that they could not proceed with the SEZ project due to adverse demand from IT sector. Accordingly they are not interested in perusing the project. DC has recommended that the formal approval may be withdrawn,” it added. (Asian Age 10/9/14) State to Register Protest against TN Stance on Dam (4) IDUKKI: Kerala is likely to register its strong protest against Tamil Nadu’s uncooperative attitude towards recording the findings of the five-member Mullaperiyar safety sub-committee. Kerala’s stance will be registered at the meeting of the three-member apex panel to be held at Kumily on Monday, V J Kurien, representing the state in the apex body said. But he did not specify the strategy to be adopted by the state at the meeting. The objection raised by Kurien that the raising of water level in the dam from 136 ft to 142 ft would cause violation of some Central Acts was trashed by the other members of the apex committee at its first meeting at Kumily on August 19. Kurien had said that the state fully respected the apex court directive allowing Tamil Nadu to raise the water level, but by doing so it was likely to infringe the Central Tribal Act and Environment Act among others. Ever since its constitution by the apex panel on August 19, the five-member sub-committee had not been free from controversies. Though the first dam visit by the sub-committee on September 1 remained free from disputes, the visit on September 5 had created furore for not inviting members from Kerala. The meeting of the sub-committee on September 11 witnessed Tamil Nadu walking out of it as Kerala stuck to some of its demands, including entering into the minutes the need to inspect suspected leaks found in the dam. Another issue to which Kerala expressed objection was Tamil Nadu’s refusal to give the data of the seepage through the dam collected during the last three years. Kerala’s objection over a non-invitee Rajesh, Superintending Engineer, Vaigai Dam River Basin, Madurai, signing in the minutes also did not go well with Tamil Nadu. Kerala did not object to his attending the meeting in lieu of a member, Madhavan, Executive Engineer. Tamil Nadu had opposed Kerala’s stance on entering the name of the sub-committee as Mullaperiyar New Dam Investigation Sub-Division. (New Indian Expres 14/9/14) Centre seeks consensus on amending Land Acquisition Act (4) New Delhi: The Government on Monday sought “consensus” to bring changes in the Land Acquisition Act to make it more investor-friendly but said it was not happening due to the “contradictory views” within

political parties which are wanting changes in the legislation. Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari also hit out at the “microscopic minority” of Opposition leaders for stalling the government’s efforts to build consensus on bringing changes in the key farmer-friendly Act passed during the United Progressive Alliance regime. The Minister said he was “confused”. “The issue is the microscopic minority leaders sitting in Delhi. Their practical chief ministers are saying something. They are giving in writing (the need for bringing changes in the Act). These people (microscopic minority leaders) are saying something else. I am confused,” Mr. Gadkari said reacting to questions on the status of the government’s efforts to bring changes in the Land Acquisition Act. Replying to the Opposition’s allegations that the government was bringing changes in the Act to please the industry, he also made it clear that the priority of the NDA was welfare of poor and there was “no question of reducing compensation package for farmers whose land is acquired for projects“. “Leaders from every political party were telling me in writing to bring changes in the Act... I wish to make it clear that whenever there will be a consensus on the matter, then the government will take a decision. There is no general consensus on the issue right now,” the minister said at a press conference convened to highlight the achievements of his ministries during the first 100 days of the new government. “Leaders of the parties which have presence in Parliament are saying that you do something to bring changes in Land Acquisition Act. These are people from the CPI (M), Congress, NCP and BJP..,” Mr. Gadkari said. (The Hindu 15/9/14) Government to aid land acquisition for Chinese indu strial parks in Gujarat (4) Trade and cooperation were in focus on the first day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit on Wednesday as provincial officials of the two nations inked agreements in the areas of governance and industry. The agreements were signed at a function in the presence of Mr. Xi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dignitaries from China, Gujarat and leading industrialists. Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and heads of Gujarat-based businesses were among the special invitees for the occasion. One MoU was signed between China Development Bank and iNDEXTb (Industrial Extension Bureau) – a State government body for facilitating investments — to encourage Chinese investment in Gujarat, especially in the manufacturing sector. As per the understanding China will set up industrial parks in several areas in Gujarat beginning from Vadodara. The Gujarat government will facilitate land acquisition and provide requisite clearances for these parks so that Chinese manufacturers, chiefly in electrical, electronics, plastics and plastic processing are able to set up their units in Gujarat. The MoU will be in force for three years. The event also saw the signing of a State-to-State agreement between the governments of Gujarat and Guangdong Province in south China for cooperation in trade, education, culture, urban planning and infrastructure . Another agreement was signed to establish sister city relations between Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Both the agreements will be in force for five years. “We hope the agreements will be a new beginning in the relationship between India and China and Gujarat. In general, Chinese investment in India is not much, but the country is looking to increase its investment starting with Gujarat,” D.J. Pandian, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries & Mines), Gujarat, said. (The Hindu 17/9/14) Govt changes rules of land acquisition to give a le g-up to industry (4) New Delhi: Clearing the decks for land acquisition under the UPA-enacted land acquisition law, the NDA government has notified the rules for its implementation. The new rules notified last month, while bringing clarity in the process of social impact assessment and reducing the scope for litigations, also addresses some of the concerns of the industry. Under the rules the public hearing has to be conducted in all the gram sabhas where members are directly or indirectly affected by acquisition of the land. Again a gram sabha with half of its members present can pass the resolution in favour or against the acquisition by a majority vote. Giving a leeway to the acquiring authority from listing out all the families affected by the acquisition, the rules give the leeway to give just a representative sample. To ensure acquisition of minimum amount of land and to facilitate its utilisation, the rules makes it mandatory for the government

to prepare a district level inventory of waste and barren land and unutilised public land. Under public private partnership projects and projects by the private companies, a list of all affected land owners from whom consent is required has to be drawn out by the district authorities. This list has to be made available in the affected area for at least 10 days before obtaining consent. In order to do away with any ambiguity in preparing the social impact assessment (SIA) report, the new rules give out an exhaustive list of socio economic and cultural parameters to be covered by SIA. For example in defining the health impact, it specifically mentions the impact of the project on the health of the women and elderly. The rules however stick to the contentious six months deadline for submission of the SIA report. The industry had objected to the periods saying it was too long and results in cost escalation of the projects. (Hindustan Times 20/9/14) Compensation amount released, but not given to clai mants (4) JAIPUR: Amid chaos and blame-game over the widening of Jaipur-Gurgaon stretch of national highway 8, there are nearly Rs 200 cr lying in the accounts of state government meant for distribution to those who lost their land. Some of the amount has been transferred from the agencies almost a year ago. As per the records of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Rs 16 crore was transferred for the land acquired at Amber to concerned authorities. Similarly, Rs 42.7 cr distribution is pending for the land acquired at Kotputli and Rs 10 crore at Behror. The amount is much more on the Haryana side in the same project. "Most of the amount was transferred a year ago. They are yet to be released it to those who actually have claims," said an official. "This money belongs to poor people. Nobody can imagine their condition," he said. The district administration agreed that compensation money is yet to be released. But they asserted that it was due to confrontation between the families owning the land that the payment is getting delayed. Where land entitlements were clear, all money has been given. In few cases, there is infighting between the families over land holding and unless those are settled, it is not possible for us to issue the compensation," said Birbal Singh, SDM, Amber. Sunil Punia, land acquisition officer, posted at Kotputli expressed his complete ignorance about the issue. Not just compensation for the land acquisition but Rajasthan government also failed to fulfill its commitment to clear encroachments after getting paid for it. For transferring government structures at several patches, Rs 2.14 crore were transferred in October 2013. Yet many of them are yet to be relocated. "For nine religious structures, PWD demanded Rs 73 lakh which was issued in June 2014. But now we have been told to wait till December to get that land. There are also some government structures for which payment was made in 2013 but they are still there," added the NHAI official. (Times of India 24/9/14) Rajasthan high court rejects plea to stop takeover of land (4) JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court on Wednesday rejected the demand of land owners for a stay on JDA efforts to take physical possession of the remaining land acquired for the ambitious ring road project. The court order came on a writ petition filed by Virendra Singh and 32 others seeking to restrain the JDA from taking physical possession of the land by force till their writ petition was disposed of by the high court. Justice Bala M Trivedi said at this stage no interim relief could be granted to the petitioners. The court also refused to entertain the argument that under the new land acquisition act, if the land was not taken possession within five years of the award, it will become infructuous. The court has listed the next hearing of the case to the third week of November. Senior advocate Anil Mehta appeared for the petitioners. The petitioners contented that JDA is acquiring 360 meters of land for a road which has a width of just 90 meters. The remaining land on both sides of the road acquired has been earmarked for commercial activities which they say, is at the cost of the farmers. Additional advocate general Rajendra Prasad, appearing for the government, argued that the project is in public interest and a majority of the famers have already accepted the compensation package announced by the government. He said it will reduce the pressure of the heavy vehicles on the city roads which will reduce accidents and increase long life of city roads. Construction of Ring Road around Jaipur was conceived by PWD in December 2000 on BOT

basis. In Phase I & II, a road with a length of 47 km will be constructed in the south of Jaipur, connecting Ajmer Road, Tonk Road and Agra Road. In Phase III, a road with a length of 97.75 km will be constructed in the northern part of Jaipur and will connect Agra Road, Delhi Road, Sikar Road and Ajmer Road. It will consist of a six-lane access controlled expressway; a three-lane service road on both sides; a 135 m R&R and an investors' development corridor on both sides. The road is envisaged as a toll-free and signal free expressway. (Times of India 26/9/14) Telangana villagers say no to industries (4) The new government in Telangana is faced with a peculiar problem. People in interior villages are unwilling to part with their land for industries. And even if an industry is sanctioned on government land, villagers do not want it citing the resultant pollution of air and water. Despite senior officials holding several contact programmes in the rural areas to convince people that industries will generate employment and boost the local economy, villagers are unconvinced. The latest protests came from people living in Thalakondapally mandal of Mahbubnagar district. Recently, Mahbubnagar district joint collector L Sharman, along with local tehsildar Anita, went to Thalakondapally for site inspection for a pharma factory. However, a group of about 1,000 villagers stopped the revenue team on the village outskirts, forcing them to return without inspecting the site. Interestingly, the local legislator, along with some sarpanches participated, in the agitation. Similar protests were witnessed last month at Akuthotapally village of Amangal mandal when a revenue team tried to hold a public hearing for a proposed bulk drug unit. Protesters in Pollepally village of Jadcherla mandal even attempted to attack officials. People, whose lands were acquired for Pollepally Special Economic Zone, alleged that the government had paid paltry sum for their lands. Some of them have turned into migrant workers after their lands were acquired. There have also been instances where officials and industry representatives were chased away by angry villagers in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts. In Nalgonda, villagers, particularly tribals, are against even government projects. Sources pointed out that in many cases, local politicians are instigating villagers to protest against setting up of industries in villages. The politicians, it is alleged, have their own agenda behind the protests. However, villagers disagree. "The protests are spontaneous. It is wrong to say they are organized. People do not want industries that cause pollution of air and ground water," said Y Jangaiah, a villager of Akuthotapally. Villagers are also irked that most of the promises made by the government and industry representatives are not kept. For instance, a company which came up at Penjeral village did not recruit locals in large numbers as promised. "Why should the locals bear the trouble of pollution when they are not assured of jobs or other economic benefits," wondered Kadempally Srinivas, former sarpanch of Kothur. Recently, a group of villagers submitted a memorandum to chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao during his visit to Mahbubnagar recently, urging him to ensure that companies setting up units in villages give 80 per cent of the jobs to locals. (Times of India 29/9/14) Sabari Rail: Families Rue Slow Pace Of Land Acquisi tion (4) KALADY: Several residents in Kalady share an unfortunate fate with the majority of families across the state, whose plots have been identified for acquisition for the Sabari rail project. For over a decade, these families have been unable to modify, sell, pledge or make any financial deal with regard to their lands due to a freeze order clamped by the government as a precursor to acquisition. However, the procedure has been getting delayed over and over again, as the state government and the railway debated over the feasibility and estimated cost of the project. While 14 plots within Kalady have been acquired and the families compensated, more than 75 such properties lying north to Sree Sankara bridge are still awaiting the acquisition procedure to commence or roll back of the freeze order. “Most of the families here do small businesses. Sometimes we need to obtain loan so as to get our businesses going. But, how are we going to get a loan if we can’t pledge our only collateral?” asks Paul Thomas, a local businessman in Okkal panchayat in Kalady. He said 22 cents out of his total 74 cents has been frozen by the government

for acquisition years ago. “I don’t know when I will get my compensation or get my land freed,” he lamented. Though the railway has compensated the families from whom it has acquired the land, the evictees here complain that they have not been paid the interests on their compensation, which had been distributed several years after being sanctioned. Sadasivan ‘Appu’, whose 16 cents of land was acquired two years ago, received close to Rs 28 lakh, at the rate of Rs 1.80 lakh per cent as compensation two years ago. But like the rest of the families, he is yet to receive eight years worth of interest. “The survey for the acquisition was done some 15 years ago and they took this long to give us the compensation. By that rate, they might take a lifetime to give us the interest,” he said. The rail line, which was proposed in 1996-97, aimed at linking Angamali with Sabarimala, to cater to the travel needs of Sabarimala pilgrims. The rail line would cover five municipalities namely Pala, Thodupuzha, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor and Angamali, and 11 other small towns. The estimated expenditure of the project, which was Rs 550 crore then, has been increased to Rs 1,550 crore 15 years later. Even after this long, the project does not have a complete road map to finish the project in a time-bound manner. (New Indian Express 30/9/14) Odisha eyes 8 sites to create land stock of 50,000 acres (4) Bhubaneswar: The state government has identified eight locations for creation of 50,000 acres of land bank for expeditious grounding of different industrial projects. The locations identified are tracts of land in Bhadrak and Balasore districts lying close to Dhamra port, Paradeep port, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur in Ganjam district in the coastal belt. The locations identified in the western part of the state are Sambalpur- Jhasuguda region and Sundergarh-Rourkela region. Similarly, the government intends to create such land banks along Dhenkanal- Angul industrial corridor in central Odisha and Koraput/Rayagada- Kashipur region in south Odisha. Sources said, near Dhamra port, some un-surveyed land is available between CRZ (coastal regulation zone) line and saline embankment for industrial use. However, the patch has to be brought to the revenue record first. Bhubaneswar-Khurda-Nayagarh area, Bhubaneswar-Jatani and Bhubaneswar-Baranga-Athagarh area have been identified for creation of land bank. Similarly, land banks can be created by taking up the stretch between Gopalpur sea coast and Rusikulya coast and unutilized land of IRE (Indian Rare Earth) project in Ganjam district. Besides, land is available in Gosala and Chiplima area in Sambalpur can be pooled for the purpose of industrialization. Un-surveyed land in Rayagada and Koraput districts are also available for creation of land bank for compensatory afforestation in respect of forest diversion proposals. In a recent meeting held in the presence of Chief Secretary, Gokul Chandra Pati, it was decided that un-surveyed land will be recorded and brought to revenue records through Boundary Change Proceedings (BCP). Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco), the nodal agency for land acquisition in the state, would identify these patches with in-house survey of Record of Rights (RoR) and cadastral maps. Private land will also be aggregated on land pooling system. The creation of land banks assumes significance as the manufacturing sector contributes a whopping 40 per cent to the state Gross Domestic Product. Besides, the state government has confronted with the challenges of acquiring land for industrial purpose. Big ticket projects like South Korean steel maker Posco and Tata Steel have battled against local opposition during land acquisition for their respective projects. The Rs 52000 crore steel plant of Posco, touted as the single largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in country, is yet to be implemented due to land acquisition problems. (Business Standard 1/10/14) Three villages to get grazing land back in APSEZ (4 ) AHMEDABAD: Three villages in the Mundra block will soon get the grazing land back after the government had allotted the plots from these grazing lands to the Adani Port Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in the last decade. Gujarat high court has asked the authorities to expedite the process of measurement of land hand over it to the respective village panchayats. This happened after the villagers filed PIL in 2011 through advocate Anand Yagnik stating that Navinal, Luni and Goyarsama villages were

left with limited gauchar land at their command after part of these plots were allotted by the government to the company for SEZ development. The petitioners stated that further dwindling the gauchar area would be detrimental to the villagers and make the sustenance of their cattle population extremely difficult in this area, which is otherwise chronic scarcity hit region. As the HC began hearing on this PIL, the state government granted 387 hectare land for gauchar of Navinal and 85 hectare for Luni village as per their requirement. The formality of measurement was not completed and the villages could not utilize the land. The HC has asked the District Inspector of Land Records (DILR) of revenue department to carry out measurement of this land by end of this month. The concerned mamlatdar has been asked to demarcate the boundaries of land and to issue a Sanad in favour of respective gram panchayats. For Goyarsama village, the HC asked the revenue department to identify the requirement and undertake the process of land allotment at the earliest. (Times of India 4/10/14) A.P. capital: farmers oppose land acquisition move (20) GUNTUR: Even though the State government hasn’t decided about land pooling or land acquisition for the purpose of building State capital, the farmers took a serious note of ‘veiled threat’ of the government. The farmers umbrella bodies have shot back at the clearly comprehensible tone and tenor of the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that the government would opt for land acquisition in case farmers did not agree for land pooling. It may be recalled that Mr. Naidu on Thursday said that a clear picture on extent of land required for Capital city would emerge once the master plan was in place. Construction of capital should be beneficial to both farmers and the government. “It is up to the farmers to choose between land pooling and land acquisition. If they don’t agree for pooling, we will go for acquisition,” Mr. Naidu said. Irked over it, the farmers in Guntur district are gearing up to move court if the government went ahead with land acquisition proposal. CPI (M) affiliated Rythu Sangham president J. Siva Sankar says, “We do not have faith in the proposed 60:40 development model in which a farmer holding an acre of land hardly gets 1,000 square yard. We are not sure where the government is allotting land and more importantly, the question of alternative livelihood is causing sleepless nights to farmers.” (The Hindu 5/10/14) Activists demand clarity on land pooling (4) HYDERABAD: Taking strong objection at the AP government's attempts to take over green fields for the proposed capital city, various organisations have demanded that the government make its plans clear on the actual land requirement. Activists alleged that the entire process of land pooling seems to be to help only realtors. Addressing a conference organised by Dalit Bahujana Front (DBF) in Vijayawada on Monday, former MP Yalamanchili Sivaji found fault with the government's plans to acquire one lakh acre for the capital. "There is absolutely no need to acquire one lakh acre at the cost of small and marginal farmers," he said, suggesting that the capital be constructed in the available 23,000 acres in VGTM-UDA limits. He wondered why the government needed so much land when the entire infrastructure in Hyderabad is not spread in more than 1,000 acres. "If land has to be acquired, it should begin from big realtors and industrialists who own vast tracts of land in and around the Amavarathi-Mangalagiri region," the former MP said. Sivaji warned that the entire process would be hit if the government uses force and urged coordination committees with farmers, local leaders and intellectuals to make the process more transparent. APCC SC cell chairman Korivi Vinay Kumar demanded that all the plots distributed to SC and STs under the land distribution scheme should be exempted from land pooling and acquisition. State DBF general secretary Melam Bhagyarao added that there is no question of farmers agreeing to land acquisition if denied justifiable compensation. Bhusadhana Vedika leader Ch Ravikumar said an on-field survey should be taken up to assess the actual requirement of land for capital. Bhumi-Upadhi Hakkula Vedika leader Velicherla Durgaprasad said that the new Act on land acquisition mandated the conduct of a social impact assessment prior to issuing notification for land acquisition and violation of the act would only delay the process. (Times of India 7/10/14)

Narmada dam-affected held after suicide bid (4) Vadodara: Police on Monday thwarted suicide attempts by 12 persons who were affected by the Narmada Dam project and arrested them after they tried to jump into the Narmada canal near the district’s Naswadi village. Demanding jobs and restoration to compensate for the ancestral lands they were forced to give up for the Narmada Dam project, the 12 persons, including a woman, went to the canal and threatened suicide if their demands were not met, a police official said. “They belong to project-affected families who wanted jobs as well as land, as compensation for what they surrendered for the Narmada Dam project in Kevadia to the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited,” Naswadi Circle Police Inspector B.M. Vasava said. After gathering at the canal, all of them jumped into it to protest against the compensation given by SSNL. However, local policemen pulled them out of the canal and arrested them. “All of them were rescued and sent to the hospital for treatment,” Mr. Vasava said. The 12, along with others, were shifted to Baroli-based settlements in south Gujarat as part of the State government’s rehabilitation programme for project-affected people. One of them said: “Benefits should be given to all members of project-affected families, as five acres of land given to one family member is not enough to sustain the entire family.” Work up to the height of 121.92 metres on the Narmada Dam was completed six years ago. Installation of radial gates on the dam is currently underway, likely to be completed in about three years, taking its height to 138 metres. — PTI (Te Hindu 8/10/14) PIL Wants Govt to Resume My Home Land (4) HYDERABAD: A public interest litigation was filed in the High Court on Wednesday seeking directions to the Telangana government to resume the lands allocated to My Home Constructions Pvt Ltd. Petitioner P Jithender Reddy, an advocate of the city, submitted that in pursuance of the Special Economic Zones Act and GO Ms No.161 dated February 13, 2006 the then APIIC had allocated a prime land of five acres to the realty firm for establishing an IT and ITES zone at Rayadurg Panmaktha village near Madhapur in Ranga Reddy district. The sale deed was executed in favour of the company on August 29, 2012. But, contrary to the terms and conditions, the company used the land for constructing residential apartments for sale to public, he said. Construction of residential apartments in a SEZ is an illegality which cannot be legitimised, he argued and sought cancellation of the letter of approval given to the company. He urged the court to direct the authorities concerned not to register any conveyances. (New Indian Express 9/10/14) UP acquires 2,000 hectares for Agra-Lucknow express way (4) Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government has acquired over 2,000 hectares from farmers and land owners for the proposed 301 km Agra-Lucknow expressway. This together with around 121 hectares of government and Gram Sabha land makes up for 70 percent of total land required for one of the flagship projects of the Akhilesh Yadav government. The project estimated to cost about Rs 10,000 crore would traverse 10 districts viz. Agra, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auraiya, Kannauj, Kanpur City, Unnao, Hardoi and Lucknow. According to UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) sources, the government has so far acquired over 2,061 hectares of land from 22,525 farmers spanning 217 villages in these districts. Additional land across 15 other villages is still to be acquired and negotiations with farmers were underway. Interestingly, land acquisition has been lowest in pocket boroughs of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Firozabad, Mainpuri and Etawah, where acquisition percentage have stood at merely 40 percent, 17 percent and 34 percent respectively. Hardoi and Kannauj have clocked highest acquisition percentages at 100 and 95 percent respectively. Kannauj is the parliamentary constituency of Dimple Yadav, the wife of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Meanwhile, UPEIDA has sought Rs 1,350 crore from the finance department for part payment to farmers. Almost Rs 5,000 crore would be needed for land acquisition payments and the project is expected to be completed in 30-36 months. Initially, the expressway was planned on public private partnership (PPP) model. Since, it failed to garner investors due to economic slowdown. Subsequently, the government decided to adopt Engineering, Procurement

and Construction (EPC) route, wherein the state would fund the project. The contract for the project, divided into five packages, has already been awarded to developers. PNC Infratech has been selected for package 1 (Agra-Firozabad); Afcons Infrastructure for package 2 (Firozabad-Etawah); Nagarjuna Construction Company for package 3 (Etawah-Kannauj); Afcons Infrastructure for package 4 (Kannauj-Unnao); and L&T for package 5 (Unnao-Lucknow). The expressway would cut travel time between Lucknow and Agra and spur economic development along the route with trade, agricultural and economic corridors proposed at different places. It would provide seamless travel between Lucknow and National Capital Region (NCR) via the functional Agra-Greater Noida Yamuna Expressway. (Business Standard 10/10/14) SC judgment due: Singur farmers want end to logjam (4) SINGUR: It was the wedge between farmers willing or unwilling to part with their land that catapulted Singur into the global map from oblivion nearly a decade ago — first when it was shortlisted as the site for the world's cheapest car and then, when it fuelled the anti-farmland acquisition stir that shook one of the mightiest corporate empires in the country. But that wedge now ceases to exist. All eyes will be on the Supreme Court on Tuesday when it takes up for hearing the validity of the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, which Calcutta high court struck down as unconstitutional in June 2012. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee's efforts to soothe the pain of unwilling farmers by shelling out doles from taxpayers seem to have bracketed even the big land-losers with the landless stakeholders. Take Mahadeb Das for example. Das, along with Becharam Manna, had first raised the banner of revolt and later roped in Trinamool Congress MLA Rabindranath Bhattacharya to give the Singur anti-land acquisition movement a political hue. Today, Das is disgruntled. With 11 bighas of his land in the 997.11 acres fenced off for the Tata Nano factory, Das hopes the SC verdict shows a way out of the logjam. "This can't continue forever. Let there be a conclusive order — either the factory stays or the land is returned. To think of it, even if the factory stays we will live with it," he said. Manna — now a minister in the state government — however stuck to the ruling party line. "The Singur movement has been an eye-opener to the world. It even forced the Centre to enact a new land acquisition law of its own. We keenly await the Supreme Court verdict. The farmers will get back their land," he said. Statistics, however, don't appear to prove a challenge to the state. Of the 997.11 acres, only 156 acres belong to owners who are unwilling. Of the Rs 90-crore fund disbursed by the previous Left Front government in 10,000 cheques, only 2,800 cheques have not been accepted. As high as 82.7% of the landowners have given a nod the Tata Nano project. At Beraberi Purbapara, Shyamali Das had named her granddaughter 'Paribartan' during the heady days of fiery protests when even the mightiest stumbling blocks did not appear too daunting with Didi by her side. Four years after she and others celebrated 'victory' when Ratan Tata announced the pullout, Shyamali is disillusioned with how things have unfolded since. "We have the 'friendly government' in place but neither land nor money. Farmers who had led the struggle are just about managing to eke out a living. The CM is handing out a monthly dole of Rs 1,000 and 2 kg rice at Rs 2 a kg to families that haven't accepted cheques. My husband was beaten up mercilessly by the police during the protests and is still undergoing treatment with a medical bill of Rs 500 a month. That leaves the family with only Rs 500. What do we do with it? If the government is serious about our plight, it should pay the interest on the amount that we have forfeited by not accepting cheques for the acquired land," she said. For her family, it would amount to Rs 3,000 a month for the 1.5 bigha acquired. (Times of India 13/10/14) Land acquisition no longer required for green appro val (4) New Delhi: Making green norms more business friendly, the environment ministry has now allowed project proponents to seek environment clearance without mandatory land acquisition. In a change in rules notified last week, the ministry said that documentary evidence to suggest that the process of land acquisition has started would be more than enough to appraise the project and grant environment

clearance. The change became possible as the ministry opined that the environment clearance is site specific under the Environment Impact Assessment notification of 2006 and any change in the site would make the approval invalid. “It may, however, be noted that the EC granted for a project on the basis of the aforesaid documents shall become invalid in case the actual land for the project site turns out to be different and mentioned in the EC,” the office memorandum issued with respect to land acquisition said. The amendment in the rules was made after several infrastructure ministries and industry associations told the environment ministry that the condition was a cause for delay in project acquisition. Considering the plea, the ministry said there should be some credible document to show the process of land acquisition has been initiated. In another business friendly measure, the ministry has imposed a restriction on its Expert Appraisal Committee that recommends environment clearance from seeking more environmental studies at the time of final consideration of the project, called stage-II approval process. The ministry said that the EAC should recommend environment studies at the time of approving the terms of reference for the project also called stage-I approval process. This condition was also imposed on suggestion of industry bodies. (Hindustan Times 14/10/14) Raising Sardar Sarovar dam height will spell doom f or poor: Medha Patkar (4) BHOPAL: A large number of oustees of Narmada projects led by Narmada Bacaho Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar sat on dharna near CM house on Thursday. They wanted to meet chief minister to highlight their concern over raising Sardar Sarovar dam height, but in vain. "We could see chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's cavalcade passing from dharna site but he did not stop to meet tribals and poor, who are affected and have been rendered landless because of these projects Whole day, we waited for him but he did not turn up to listen to our pleas," Medha told TOI before leaving Bhopal. "Around 45,000 dam-hit families are yet to be rehabilitated. Raising dam height to 138.68 m would spell doom on more poor people," Patkar said. Gujarat government has started construction on October 8 to raise dam height from 121.92 metres to 138.68 metres and to install radial gates on the dam. In June 2014, Union government gave approval to Gujarat government to raise the height of the dam. Following this development, she said, there are fresh issues related to relief and rehabilitation, huge corruption in rehabilitation work which is being investigated and violation of norms by Narmada valley Development Authority (NVDA). "We wanted to tell CM all this. Whole day officials kept assuring us that they would arrange meeting with CM, but in vain. MP has three ministers in Modi cabinet, still voice of the state is not "heard in Delhi." "Owing to pressure from Narendra Modi, Uma Bharti would talk about saving Ganga only but she has no time to talk about Narmada," Patkar alleged. Besides Sardar Sarovar dam oustees, oustees from other projects on Narmada and Adani power project in Chhindwara among others were also there. Meanwhile, Shyamla Hills police have registered a case against Patkar, Sunilam and their supporters. FIR was registered under different sections of IPC, including 147 (rioting), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). (Times of India 17/10/14) BJP voice for airport land rate cry (4) Durgapur; The Bengal BJP has decided to back a demand for a higher compensation by a group of villagers whose land has been identified for the approach road to the proposed airport in Burdwan’s Andal. Naresh Konar, a BJP state committee member in Andal, told the 600-odd villagers on Sunday that the party would back their demand of Rs 1 crore an acre. The Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL), the airport promoter, has offered Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 11 lakh an acre. The decision by the BJP, which has been eyeing the principal Opposition’s space, comes at a time the airport project is likely to miss its fourth deadline in November. BJP sources said the party’s decision was an attempt to remind Mamata Banerjee of her days in the Opposition when she had rallied behind landlosers in Singur and Nandigram. “Mamata became the chief minister riding on her movement against forcible land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram…. But what about those whose plots have been identified here? We will support

the villagers’ demand,” Konar told the gathering of villagers at a Vijaya Sammilani organised by the Andal Krishi Jami Raksha Committee, the villagers’ forum. The 4.1km approach road from NH2 to the proposed airport would require around 100 acres. Asked about Konar’s claim to support the villagers’ demand, BJP state president Rahul Sinha said: “We don’t know about the chief minister’s deadlines. We just want the government to consider the demand of the villagers.” Sinha added: “Trinamul had backed the landlosers in Singur when the party was in the Opposition. But it is not doing so after coming to power. This is double standard.” The Rs 10,000-crore project — with Singapore’s Changi Airports International as a partner — was supposed to come up within three years of the Left Front government handing over 1,818 acres to BAPL in 2009. However, the project has missed three deadlines — in 2012, 2013 and April this year. A similar problem over a compensation package has also prompted residents of another village to refuse to part with their land that has been identified for the shifting of eight transmission towers blocking the runway. Sources in Trinamul said although Mamata showed little interest in the proposed airport initially, she started backing it after realising that it was probably the only mega-project in the state. In August, she visited Singapore at the invitation of Changi Airports International to scout for investments from the Southeast Asian country. During the trip, Mamata had announced that the first flight would take off from Andal in November, a plan that no longer looks feasible with the authorities allegedly having pushed the deadline to January 2015. Andal, where the BJP has decided to raise its pitch over the compensation package, comes under the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, one of two constituencies the party won in Bengal this time. Brokers dealing with land described the villagers’ demand of Rs 1 crore an acre as “justified”, saying it was well below the current market rate. “According to the current market rate, a cottah sells for Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. An acre is around 60 cottahs, which means the price can be up to Rs 3 crore an acre. The villagers are demanding a third of that,” a broker said. The Andal unit of Trinamul accused the BJP of inciting the villagers to delay the project further. Andal block Trinamul president Kanchan Mitra said: “I would request the villagers not to get carried away by the BJP. It is trying to get a political mileage over the issue.” (The Telegraph 21/10/14) Rehabilitate Tribal Families in SOG Camp: NHRC to G ovt (4) CUTTACK: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the State Government to rehabilitate seven tribal families languishing in the Special Operation Group (SOG) Camp at Chandaka on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Acting on a complaint of Rights activist Akhand, the Commission has asked the Chief Secretary to ensure their rehabilitation within eight weeks. Akhand had alleged, seven tribal families had been stuck on the premises of SOG camp and subjected to restrictions due to security measures. The family members were unable to move freely. The State Government had set up the SOG in 2004 and allotted 62 acres land at Tulasideipur village for their training. At the time of acquiring land, house of the seven tribal families remained in the camp’s limits. The Commission had taken cognizance and sought a report from the State Government in the matter. The IG of Police (Operations) admitted the presence of the families. As per his report, Khurda administration has been moved to shift these families to a nearby alternate location, with rehabilitation facilities that they may be entitled to as per law. The report concedes the restricted movement of the members of these families because of strict security arrangements in the campus, due to Naxal menace. Considering the report, the Commission noted that “the seven families should be rehabilitated at the earliest because they are facing difficulties since long. From report of the IG (Operations), it appears that the district administration was intimated as early as in 2011, but no action has been taken so far.” The State Government should take prompt necessary action in this regard and the Chief Secretary should submit a report on rehabilitation of the families, the Commission directed. (New Indian Express 26/10/14) Two decades on, land acquired for NH development re mains untouched (4) KOCHI: It is just impossible to develop all national highways in Kerala at 45-metre width, due to prohibitive cost of land acquisition and stiff resistance to the proposal that is building up all across the

State, key stakeholders in the State’s NH-development process have said. The State government had recently decided to develop NHs at 45-metre width, as against its declared stand to develop NH stretches in Kerala at 30-metre width in places where land acquisition for 45-metre wide NH is facing stiff resistance from land owners. NGOs fighting against 45-metre-wide highways speak of how fresh land acquisition at places where 30-metre-wide land is available is next to impossible. “Land owners on NH 17 will fight another round of acquisition tooth and nail since their houses were pulled down for acquiring land at 30-metre width. They rebuilt their houses in whatever small plots were available. We cannot comprehend yet another attempt to evict people since many people have not got full compensation amount for plots surrendered 25 years ago,” said Hashim Chendampilly, convener of NH Samara Samity, a conclave of NGOs. He said NH 17 is hardly six-metres wide in places such as Vadakkekara, while land acquired at 30-metre width is lying idle and weed- infested. “Both land owners and commuters are angry at the state of affairs.” Sources in PWD said land acquisition was the biggest challenge since only eight hectares of land was acquired in NH 47 and NH 17 during the past 13 years. “The government says the total compensation to land owners would be Rs. 13,500 crore (at the average rate of Rs.4 lakh per cent). But this would scale up to well over Rs. 50,000 crore since the market rate for most plots facing NHs ranges from between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore. It is doubtful whether NHAI would pay this since State government is hard-pressed for funds.” Rather than waste time on the project, priority must be given to widen Cherthala-Kazhakoottam reach of NH 47 and also Edappally-Kuttipuram reach of NH 17 into four lane. Land acquired at 30-metre-width over two decades ago was lying idle in these busy but narrow and highly-accident-prone stretches, they said. Other highway corridors can be developed at 30 or 45-metre width, depending on the availability of land. Already, the 270-km NH 47 stretch from Edappally to Walayar is being developed at 45-metre width. A senior PWD official suggested construction of an elevated 4-lane corridor on a BOT basis in the next stage of development in 30-metre highways. This would cost approximately Rs. 150 crore under current estimates and can be realized through user fee. (The Hindu 29/10/14) Acquired land can't be returned under existing law: Moloy (4) ANDAL/ASANSOL: Land once acquired cannot be returned unless the existing law is amended by the Supreme Court or the Centre, former state law minister and currently in charge of labour department Moloy Ghatak told Andal airport township land-losers on Wednesday. Speaking to land-losers who were demanding higher compensation for 20-22-acre prime land abutting NH2 and leading to the nearly-ready airport through the proposed township, the Asansol MLA urged them to consider the interest of the state. "The farmers were demanding higher compensation. I told them that Andal and Singur land acquisition was done by the previous government and explained that there is no scope for returning the land under the present law. Only if the Supreme Court or the Centre introduces a new law can acquired land be returned," Ghatak told TOI on Wednesday evening. Ironically, it was during Ghatak's tenure that the state government had introduced the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 to enable the state government to return to farmers the land that had been leased to Tata Motors. The Act was subsequently challenged by the Tatas and is currently being heard in Supreme Court. Return of Singur land was one of the primary planks on which Trinamool rode to power in 2011. The land in Andal that Ghatak was trying to negotiate is crucial for the Aerotropolis project as the main arterial road cannot be linked to the highway without it. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is keen to showcase a completed airport to Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and FM Tharman Shanmugaratnam when they come visiting during the forthcoming investor meet Biswa Banga scheduled on January 7-9, 2015. Sources said Mamata is keen to present the airport as her government's achievement and hopes that it will inspire confidence among investors. In fact, the CM wants the airport to become operational on January 7 so that Loong and Shanmugaratnam witness a test flight land. Loong had, during Mamata's visit to Singapore in August, enquired about the delay of the Andal airport project in which Changi Airports International, Singapore's airport operator, has substantial stake. Mamata had then assured him that the state would do everything to ensure its speedy completion.

At a review meeting presided by the transport secretary recently, the controversy over the land that is proposed to be the project entrance was discussed. Ghatak convened the meeting of disgruntled land-losers on Wednesday. Of the 1,600-odd owners of the 20-22 acres in question, 1,500 have accepted cheques. But the remaining 100 are demanding higher compensation as they believe their prime land should fetch more than the uniform Rs 10.5 lakh per acre doled out to all land-losers. (Times of India 30/10/14) ‘POSCO will not be shelved’ (4) BHUBANESWAR: Nearly a decade after the mega steel project proposed by South Korean company POSCO failed to take off in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha, the steel major here on Friday said the project would not be shelved. “We have been waiting here for 10 years. We would never quit,” said Gee Woong Sung, Chairman and Managing Director of POSCO, India, who met Chief Secretary G.C. Pati here. POSCO India is said to have discussed issues from the physical handing over of the required land for the proposed steel plant in Jagatsinghpur to providing mining linkage to the project. POSCO India had proposed to establish a 12 million tonne per annum capacity steel plant and a captive port at Rs. 52,000 crore of investment — the biggest Foreign Direct Investment — in Jagatsinghpur district on June 22, 2005. When local resistance grew against acquisition of land, the company reshaped the project into 8 mtpa capacity. It also brought down the land requirement from over 4000 acres of land to 2700 acres. Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odihsa (IDCO) with the help of Jagatsinghpur district administration acquired about 2700 acres of land. But it was yet to give physical possession of land to the company. When IDCO attempted to construct a boundary wall, it was resisted by local people under the banner of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti. The land acquisition process has not been completed, even in a decade. Mr. Sung was said to have requested the State government to expedite the process of land acquisition and develop road linkage to the project area. The meeting which lasted about four hours was attended by IDCO CMD Vishal Dev and Steel and Mines Secretary G Srinivasan here on Friday. “The meeting was successful,” said the POSCO CMD while coming out of the meeting hall. The POSCO top executive, sources said, wanted to know the fate of Khandadhar iron ore mine. The South Korean company also got a shot in arm after Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on October 28 clarified that in case of plantations which were notified as ‘Forest’ on a day less than 75 years prior to the December 13, 2005 and are located in the villages having no recorded population of Scheduled Tribes, as per the Census-2001 and Census 2011, then no forest rights are likely to be recognized, even if the process of stipulation in Forest Rights Act and the rules framed under for recognition and vesting of forest rights is initiated and completed. Government sources said the MOEF circular would help POSCO India overcome the forest right hurdle in Jagatsinghpur district. (The Hindu 1/11/14) Tata files revised proposal for relief to displaced in Orissa (4) Berhampur: Leading steel producer Tata Steel has submitted a proposal to the Orissa government on revision of compensation. The company will announce its revised package after the state government approves the proposal, said Arun Mishra, vice-president of the project here on Monday. The people of Sindhigaon, Badapaur, Patrapur, Kalipalli and Paikapada villages near Gopalpur were displaced after the company acquired 2,970 acres for the then proposed shore-based mega steel plant in 1996. However, the company later shelved the project and decided to set up an industrial park and multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) for which the foundation stone for the proposed project was laid by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in August 2010. Expressing resentment over the inordinate delay in the execution of the project, the displaced families, in a memorandum to the Tata Rehabilitation Village Development Committee, had demanded a special resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) package and a permanent job to one member of each affected family. (Asian Age 4/11/14) Illogicalities in land acquisition law need to go: Jaitley (4)

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday said the government is considering changes to some "illogical provisions" of the Land Acquisition Act. "There are some illogical provisions like land cannot be used or acquired under this law for private educational institutions, private hospitals and hotels. There are some factors in it, which certainly require a relook," Jaitley said at the India Economic Summit here. "By this, a new capital of Andhra Pradesh, or the 100 smart cities proposed cannot have private universities and schools, private hospitals or hotels," he added. Speaking at a question and answer session at the summit inauguration, Jaitley said the new law lays down extremely complicated procedures, making it almost impossible to acquire land. The act now makes it mandatory to take the consent of 80 percent of the people whose land is taken for private projects. In the case of public-private-partnership projects, the consent of 70 percent of people is required. "As defence minister, I face difficulties every day, even defence is not exempt," Jaitley, who holds this additional charge, said. Important infrastructure projects like industrial corridors and housing, especially for the poor, were being held up by such illogicalities in the law, he added. (Business tandard 5/11/14) Andhra Pradesh government planning 'land bank' to p romote industries (4) Rajahmundry: Andhra Pradesh Government is mulling over to constitute a "land bank" of two lakh acres to promote industries, state Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said here on Thursday. "Many countries are interested in establishing industries in our state and we need to show them that land is available in our state," the minister told a press conference at Pithapuram in East Godavari district. He said the state government was making sincere efforts for promotion of industries and state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is visiting Singapore for this purpose. "The decision of Central government to declare special status for AP would be of help as more industries will come here to set up their shops. A special package has also been proposed for seven coastal districts under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill," Ramakrishnudu said. Observing that Andhra Pradesh has 49 SEZs, he said the state possesses valuable mineral resources as well as 14 ports in coastal districts which would help in development of the state. Responding to a query on global players evincing interest in setting up units in AP, Ramakrishnudu said an Australian firm has come forward to establish a ship building unit at Kakinada. "The state is in favour of ship building units, but not for ship-breaking units as they cause pollution," he added. On an industrial corridor announced by Centre, the minister said industries without pollution are essential and Centre has already proposed to establish hardware industry in the district. (DNA 6/11/14) Jaitley vows to amend Land Act, promises non-aggres sive tax policy (4) NEW DELHI : Finance Minister ArunJaitley today said the government will amend the tough land acquisition law even if the opposition does not support as it looks to restore confidence in the economy. On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expanding his Cabinet, Jaitley promised a rational, non ultra-aggressive tax policy and make India a global manufacturing hub. "Some changes may be necessary (to the Land Acquisition Act). We will first try to reach a consensus and if that is not possible we will go ahead and take the decision," he said addressing India Global Forum meeting here. The Land Acquisition Bill, which was passed during the previous UPA regime with then opposition BJP supporting it, seeks to set a fair compensation for farm land being taken over for industrial projects. But the law has made land acquisition very difficult, slowing projects. States too have come out openly against the law saying it had hurt the process of acquiring land for infrastructure projects. Jaitley said that the "obstacles" to the land laws would have to be first removed in order to implement the concept of smart cities in India. In Budget 2014-15, Jaitley had proposed an allocation of Rs 7,060 crore for developing 100 'smart cities' in the country. The Rural Development Ministry has already suggested a number of amendments to the Land Acquisition Act that will water down provisions such as mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent locals for acquiring land for PPP projects, and 80 per cent for private projects. Jaitley also said that the government's disinvestment programme will "unfold" in the next couple of days. He added that the

government aims to bring down its equity in public sector banks to 52 per cent. "Economy was and is in a challenging situation and one of the principal challenges before us is to restore the confidence in the Indian economy, to expand economic activity and move towards increasing the growth rate," he said. Stating that growth rate next year will be "a little better", he said if the trend continues, India can be on high growth trajectory soon. "We have seen the challenges before the economy. So, a reasonable and rational tax policy (is needed). It can't be ultra aggressive with the tax payers," the Minister said. (Times of India 9/11/14) DDA policy to provide relief to 5 lakh displaced pe ople (4) NEW DELHI: Over five lakh displaced people staying in DDA properties without official authorisation or on lease by paying damages will soon be benefitted with the land agency working on formulating a policy to regularise such properties. DDA vice-chairman Balvinder Kumar has initiated the process of formulating a policy for thousands of properties occupied by displaced persons and others from 1940 onwards on the basis of “paying damages” or “leases” in 23 nazul estates of Delhi in areas like Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Anand Parbat, Chuna Mandi, etc. The DDA said government land falling under these 23 nazul estates, after partition, was mainly occupied by refugees, who settled in these open spaces without official authorisation. These occupants were issued slips known as “damages slips” for using the government land. On constitution of the DDA in 1957, these lands were transferred to the land agency. The number of such properties in 1959 was approximately 18,179. Over a period of time, these plots were either inherited, subdivided or sold and “damages slips” became the basis of various transactions, i.e., sale mutation etc. and in many cases the transactions were registered also. The “damages”, as per the slips issued, were being collected through Damages Collectors. The DDA said the number of these properties have now multiplied many times and there are around one lakh families, i.e., about five lakh occupants who are staying in these properties after paying damages and many even without paying any damages. Some of the land in these areas was on leasehold basis and continues to be occupied by such occupants even though the leases have either expired or have been cancelled /determined. “In order to provide relief to such thousands of unauthorised occupants who have been continuing to occupy government land either without official authorisation or through leases for more than 60 years, a policy is being formulated to regularise such occupancy. For working out the basic guideline, details of the households, their occupants are being collected from the Census House Listing Schedules of 2010-2011, where each structure has been listed along with the status of the owner or the tenant. Help of the National Population Register-2011 and various socio-economic surveys are also being taken to get the exact details,” the DDA said. (The Hindu 10/11/14) SEZ: HC issues notice to Centre (4) HYDERABAD: A Division Bench of Hyderbad High Court comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyothi Sen Gupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar on Monday issued notice to Central government in a writ petition filed by a resident of Kakinada I. Satyanarayana, whocomplained that the lands in Kakinada SEZ were being mortgaged. He said the SEZ has to be denotified. The complainant said thousands of acres of fertile lands have been alienated in favour of the promoter who is using these lands to raise funds for other commercial projects and no activity has yet been initiated here. The bench directed the Centre to respond to the issues raised in the writ petition. (The Hindu 11/11/14) ‘Land pooling’ to appease land mafia: Madhu (4) THULLUR (GUNTUR DT), :Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary P. Madhu has said the proposed land pooling policy to acquire vast tracts of farm land was being done to encourage the ‘land mafia’, who were hell bent on destroying fertile lands and displacing hundreds of farmers. Taking strong exception to the land pooling policy, he said that it was evident that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was keen on giving away fertile land to the corporate sector at the cost of farmers’ interest. “What is the

legal sanctity for land pooling? Is there any law on it? What is the justification to acquire 30,000 acres of farm land to build a capital?” Mr. Madhu threw a volley of questions at a farmers’ meeting on Wednesday, after touring the villages in Mandhadam, Malkapuram and Thullur mandals. Mr. Madhu demanded that land acquisition should be based on Land Acquisition Act 2013 which had mandated that land owners would be the major stakeholders and that they should be provided compensation equal to 1,000 man days and Rs.5 lakh compensation and etc. “ We will certainly fight to safeguard the interests of farmers and will go to any extent and even file cases in courts,’’ said Mr. Madhu. Meanwhile, Tadikonda MLA Tenali Sravan Kumar on Wednesday visited the villages of Dondapadu and Neerupadu to pacify the irked farmers. (The Hindu 13/11/14) Protest against smart city plan (4) Imphal, Nov. 12: The Manipur government’s decision to acquire land at Haollenphai village — in Moreh town bordering Tamu of Myanmar — to set up International Township, a “smart city”, is facing stiff opposition from Thadou students. A “smart city’s” core infrastructure is information technology where networks of sensors, cameras, wireless devices and data centres form the key infrastructure-providing essential services. The Thadou students have urged the government to revoke the plan to acquire land for construction of such a city at the border. They have issued an ultimatum to meet the demand by or before November 18, failing which a 48-hour strike will be imposed on all national highways in the state. The Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) today organised a news conference at Manipur Press Club here on acquisition of 3,000 acres land at Haollenphai of Moreh, a border town in Chandel district of Manipur, for construction of a “smart city”. The vice-president of the students’ association, P.C. Doungel, said: “We have submitted a memorandum to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh on October 21 demanding revocation of the land requisition plan immediately. However, we have not received any reply till today.” Saying that industries minister Govindas Konthoujam in a press statement had stated about acquisition of 3,000 acres of land at Haollenphai, the association sought a public clarification from the government. Doungel said if the report is false, the government must retract to the statement and offer a public apology. “If the report is true, the government must provide detailed information on the process of land acquisition and whether all the guidelines and rules of land acquisition have been complied with,” he said. The general secretary of the association, James Hao-kip, said if the government failed to meet the demand, the agitation will be intensified. The press statement of the union said if the government has acquired the land, the students’ association and the indigenous community would consider it null and void. “We will also consider it as a direct assault on tribal rights and the people. Together with like-minded organisations and public, the TSA will vigorously pursue remedial steps.” The students stated that they neither want nor need a “smart city” in their area. They said they want development, but it should not be imposed on them. (The Telegraph 14/11/14) Land-losers remember Sister Valsa crusade (4) Activism outfit Rajmahal Pahad Bachao Andolan members commemorated the death anniversary of Sister Valsa John, killed on November 15, 2011, with a people’s tribunal at XISS on Sunday to assess how the MoU signed by them and Panem Coal Mines Ltd in November 2006 over mining coal in Pachuwara, Pakur, is being implemented now. Sister Valsa, a nun from Kerala, had been leading an anti-displacement movement against Panem in Pachuwara. Her murder was believed to be linked to her crusade. Roped in by Andolan members, The Research Collective, a New Delhi-based outfit shared with the people’s tribunal at XISS all the documents and testimonials it had collated to narrate the untold saga of Pachuwara on Sunday. Chandmuni Murmu (55) of Alubera panchayat, a land-loser, said how she had suffered. “My family got Rs 2.19 lakh as compensation for 77 bighas with 242 fruit trees. Women were supposed to get another Rs 2,500 a month according to the MoU. Now, the company gives us Rs 200 a month. We got peanuts.” Francis Murmu of Alubera added: “The company kept none of its promises. There are no schools and hospitals. More importantly, the mined land has not been given back to us in

cultivable condition, promised in the MoU.” Sixty people from panchayats around mining areas in Pachuwara apart, panellists in the tribunal included New Delhi academic Bela Bhatia, Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhusan, senior journalist Ventakesh Ramakrishnan, XISS academic Alex Ekka and economist Ramesh Sharan. The panel observed land acquisition in Pachuwara showed how Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act was disregarded. (The Telegraph 17/11/14) Centre, Odisha committed to Posco project' (4) BHUBANESWAR: Union Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh on Monday said the Centre and the Odisha government were keen to see the South Korean major Posco‘s proposed mega steel project in coastal Jagatsinghpur district through. “Both the Centre and the Odisha government are committed to implement the Posco project. The land acquisition and other activities for the project are going on. We are very keen and confident that the project will be implemented”, Singh told reporters after a meeting here to review ongoing steel projects in the state, including Posco. The secretary’s comments on the controversial multi-crore mega steel project which has already been delayed by almost nine years has assumed significance in view of recent developments on the project front, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance to South Korean President Park Geun-hey to extend all his support to the project. Modi assured Geun-hey when the two leaders recently met in Myanmar on the sidelines of Asean. The development prompted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to say that “all hurdles for the project would come to an end soon”. “I hope the prime minister’s assurance to the South Korean president would put the Posco project on the track once again,” Patnaik had said here recently. Just a few days before the Myanmar meeting between Modi and Geun-hey, Posco India managing director had also visited the state and held discussions with officials, including Chief Secretary G C Pati about the progress. Pati was also present at the Monday’s high-level official meeting chaired by Singh. The state government has already acquired 2,700 acres of land for the eight million tonne per annum steel project in Jagatsinghpur despite opposition from a section of the villagers. The state government had also a few days ago sent its recommendation to the Centre to grant prospective licence in favour of Posco to mine iron ore at Khandadhar hills in tribal- dominated Sundergarh district which will be used as raw material for the proposed big ticket steel project. (Deccan Herald 18/11/14) No ordinance to amend land acquisition law, law min ister Sadananda Gowda says (4) NEW DELHI: Law minister Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday ruled out taking the ordinance route for any amendments in the Land Acquisition Act though he said the government was in favour of bringing some changes. "There is a proposal. The call has to be taken by the concerned (rural development) ministry," he said, without elaborating on the proposed changes. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had last week said the government will amend the "tough" land acquisition law even without opposition support as it looks to restore confidence in the economy. The government is in favour of consulting other parties and developing a consensus on the proposed changes. Some states have already expressed concern and cited difficulties in acquiring land for infrastructure projects with stringent clause such as obtaining consent of at least 70% of affected landowners in case of PPP projects and 80% in case of private projects. On ratification of the judges appointment commission bill by states, Gowda said he has written to state governments to ratify the bill which will put in place a new mechanism to select Supreme Court and high court judges. The Constitution amendment bill requires ratification by at least 50% of state legislatures. Goa, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tripura legislatures have already ratified the bill. Gowda said since winter sessions of state legislatures were lined up in coming days, the required number of ratifications could be completed soon. Parliament had in August cleared a Constitution amendment bill to facilitate setting up of a commission for appointment of judges, replacing the 20-year-old collegium system, which has been under severe criticism. The law minister said with many proposals getting stuck due to inter-ministerial litigation, the government was bringing a new policy to ensure that departments did not sue each other and cases were settled through arbitration and reconciliation. Along with the

National Litigation Policy that the government plans to bring, ministries and departments are being encouraged to amend laws to reduce court cases. In this direction, the finance ministry is likely to amend the Negotiable Instruments Act to reduce burden on courts with regard to litigation related to cheque bounce cases. The transport ministry is also likely to amend the Motor Vehicles Act to reduce litigation related to challans. (Times of India 20/11/14) Governments have wrong notion on development, says Medha Patkar (4) Mangaluru: Activist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar said “the governments have perverted vision on development. Whenever they want, they raise the issue of environment concern and are ready to do away with the environment issues when it comes to investment by corporates.” Speaking after flagging off a boat rally organised under the banner of Kerala Swathanthra Malsyathozhily Federation, National Fish Workers Forum and Coastal Karnataka Fishermen’s Action Committee, from Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram, aimed at protection of sea, coast, inland water bodies and fisheries resources here on Friday, she flayed the Modi government over a move to amend provisions of the Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. “The consent and social impact assessment provision was introduced to do away with the anomalies. Earlier, farmers who were dependent on the land were never consulted while initiating a project. Fertile land were given to private corporates in the name of development. It will be a retrograde step if we go back to the British legacy. The new land acquisition act was the result of mass movements across the country,” she said. Social impact assessment is essential before taking up any project, she added. “Modi visited Japan as investors from Japan have invested in industrial corridors back in India. It is a tragedy that agreements at the global level do not come for discussion in the Parliament or assembly. No one has any clear cut idea on the issues dealt in the agreements signed at the global level,” Patkar said. “Fishermen are asserting their right to stay near their livelihood,” she said. Stating that the previous UPA government shelved Murari committee report and constituted Meera Kumari committee. The Meera Kumari committee has welcomed foreign fishing vessels and foreign crews to fish on the Indian water. This is direct violation of the recommendations of P Murari Committee, according to which no further licenses should be provided to foreign fishing vessels. If the policies of the UPA government are followed by the Modi government, then fishing sector will be pushed to a major crisis. “The government has a false contention that those who have money are real investors. Those who invest on land and water like fishermen and farmers for livelihood are not in favour of development. Fishermen should show their strength by unitedly fighting for rights. Fishermen, agriculturists, tribals are the one who live with nature and engaged in bringing in balance in nature. National Fishworkers Forum secretary T Peter said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised of Blue revolution before the parliamentary election. However, the budget of the central government was disappointing. The fishermen urged for the creation of a separate ministry for Fisheries. Peter said coastal land were being given to tourism and industries while the rights of the fishermen were being curtailed. Foreign vessels are allowed to fish in Indian waters. This will adversely affect the Indian fishermen. The government should reject the recommendations of an Meena Kumari committee to allow joint ventures with foreign vessels to fish in Buffer Zone (where sea water is 200 ft to 300 ft deep). Instead, Indian fishing community should be encouraged to catch fish in the zone using modern technology. A march to New Delhi will be organised later to pressurise the Union government to heed to the demands of fishermen. He said the government should take measures to ensure that boat owners get subsidised kerosene. No boat owner was able to receive subsidised kerosene because it was reserved for BPL card holders. “Will a mechanised boat owner possess a BPL card?” he said. Minister for Fisheries Abhayachandra Jain said that the government is committed to protect the interest of the farmers. As a part of the rally, six boats from Mangaluru took part in the boat march. The campaign will witness a series of public meetings along the west coast, culminating at a national conference in Thiruvananthapuram on November 30. (Deccan Herald 22/11/14)

Govt may need gram sabha nod for acquiring property (4) BENGALURU: People in rural areas will soon have a major say in the government acquiring their land or property for projects, if a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act becomes a reality. Instead of applying the top-down model, the government will have to obtain clearance or an NoC from the local gram sabhas before going ahead with land acquisition. The proposed amendment aims to give more teeth to gram panchayats to help them discharge their functions effectively. Former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who heads the high-power committee on amendments to the Act, told TOI on Monday that such consultations will be a must for rehabilitating persons affected by development projects, giving mining leases or granting licence for liquor shops in villages. "We will also explore legal options to see whether GPs can be given powers to say no to a project if they find it to be against public interest," the Congress MLA said at an interaction here. The amendment also proposes to take the panchayat to people through habitation sabhas. "In several places, people are staying in habitations or small settlements very far from the Gram Panchayat village. Their voices are not heard as they are not able to attend meetings or participate in the functioning of the GP," said former MP C Narayanaswamy, the core committee chairman. The government will table the report in the winter session of the legislature scheduled to be held in Belagavi in December. (Times of India 25/11/14) Government Delays Key Land Reform. Here's Why. (4) New Delhi: The government has decided to postpone a reform seen as essential for developing much-needed infrastructure. A proposal to change land acquisition laws will not be introduced in the month-long parliament session that began on Monday, said sources. Instead, the government would like to shore up the opposition's support to liberalise the insurance industry, a long-delayed reform expected to help improve investor confidence. Restrictions to buying land, strengthened under the last Congress government, are among the biggest barriers to new projects worth billions of dollars in roads, railways, ports and power installations. The government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha or Upper House. Without opposition support, it cannot pass important legislation there. For this session, it has decided to prioritize a bill that lifts the cap on foreign investment in insurance and pension ventures from 26 percent to 49 percent. A total of 189 projects, including $10 billion in highways, are stalled because of difficulties with land acquisition, environment clearances and red tape, says the Transport Ministry headed by Nitin Gadkari. The land purchase law enacted by the last government - and supported by the BJP while it was the opposition - sets compensation to landholders at four times the market price and requires the approval of 80 percent of landowners for any deal. A land acquisition law passed by the last government and supported by the BJP while in opposition dramatically increased compensation to farmers for land. Stringent rules requiring consensus among sellers have made it difficult for industry to buy land. The government wants to make it a much faster process. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said he supports the higher compensation but wants to loosen other barriers to land purchases. The government wants parliament to remove a requirement to get landholders' consent in the case of public-private partnership projects, or at least bring the threshold down to 50 percent of affected landowners. (NDTV 27/11/14) Modi, the PM of corporate giants: Medha Patkar (4) INDORE: Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Saturday, while dubbing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the PM of corporate giants, alleged that the height of Sardar Sarovar dam was being raised to benefit select industrialists in Gujarat. She was in city to lodge a protest against raising height of the dam and later addressed media. She said that raising height would make nearly 45,000 farmer families homeless. Farmers along 210 km stretch will be affected due to raising height. She also leveled corruption allegations on senior government officials in land acquisition and giving compensation to the people whose land came in submerged area. (Times of India 30/11/14)

Medha Patkar detained for bid to enter water minist ry (4) New Delhi: Social activist Medha Patkar and many supporters of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) were Monday detained by police for attempting to enter the water resources ministry without appointment with Minister Uma Bharati. The protesters came to the capital as part of the Narmada Sangharsh Yatra from Badhwani in Madhya Pradesh. They wanted to meet the minister to press their demand for reduction in the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat and proper rehabilitation of people on the banks of the Narmada river. "Patkar and the other members of the NBA tried to enter the ministry without proper permission," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Delhi) S.B.S. Tyagi told IANS. A statement from the NBA said: "The sequence of events today poses a serious question to the current government's claim of the people coming first, environment being a prime concern and democratic dialogue being the basis for decision making in development of the country." The NBA announced that a rally will be taken out Tuesday against the government's decision to raise the height of the dam. (Business Standard 1/12/14) Land Acquisition Will Be Made Easier: Centre (4) NEW DELHI: Lending her ears to the industry on problems faced by it in acquiring land, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the government will consult all stakeholders to make the land acquisition law "an enabler, rather than a stifler".The Commerce and Industry Minister said that the industry has been voicing concerns that the existing Land Acquisition Act makes it almost impossible for them to acquire land. "...If that is how difficult it is made for acquiring land, certainly we are as a government committed to see what best can be done because it cannot stifle the very reason for which it has been brought. "There is work going on, I am sure the government will come up with something in consultation with all stakeholders on how this Act can be made an enabler rather than a stifler," Sitharaman said at Indian Economic Conclave organised by ET Now here. The Land Acquisition Bill, which was passed during the previous UPA regime with then opposition BJP supporting it, seeks to set a fair compensation for farm land being taken over for industrial projects. However, concerns have been raised from various quarters that the law has made land acquisition very difficult and was slowing projects. Some states have also come out openly against the law, saying it had adversely impacted the process of acquiring land for infrastructure projects. The Rural Development Ministry has already suggested a number of amendments to the Land Acquisition Act that will water down provisions such as mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent locals for acquiring land for PPP projects, and 80 per cent for private projects. (New Indian Express 6/12/14) Survey finds 14,000 acres govt land in capital regi on (4) VIJAYAWADA: A survey conducted for the first time by Andhra Pradesh on demography and extent of government and private land in 29 villages, where it plans to build its new capital city, has revealed that as much as 52,000 acres of farm land is available. Of this, government land (assigned) is 14,000 acres and land in possession of private individuals is 38,000 acres. According to sources, the government is expected to take over the entire 52,000 acres either through land pooling or land acquisition in the first phase itself. The government had earlier proposed to acquire only 30,000 acres in the first phase. By the government covering land and population in these villages has triggered a fresh controversy. The survey revealed that there is 14,000 acres of government land in these villages. Farmers fume at the government for its 'land hunger' as it has been planning to acquire agriculture lands in all the 29 villages. The government has identified about 38,000 acres of agriculture patta land in the 29 villages. While 21 villages in Tulluru mandal have 33,247 acres of agriculture patta land, eight villages in Mangalagiri and Tadepalli mandals have 5,000 acres. Besides private patta land, there are different types of government land, including 'grama kantham', village 'poramboke', tank 'poramboke', temple land and forest land. The forest and endowments departments own around 1,300 acres in the area. Although most of the government land is under the control of private individuals, the state wants to reclaim it by paying a reasonable compensation to the farmers. "Initially, the government said it needed 30,000 acres for the

new capital city, but now it is planning to take over 52,000 acres. It is simply mindless acquisition at the cost of livelihood of thousands of small and marginal farmers," said local farmers' leader Mallela Harindranath Chowdary. With the farmers of upland areas in Tulluru mandal willing to part with their land, which accounts for about 15,000 acres, the government can go ahead with construction of the capital city by reclaiming 14,000 acres of its own land, without touching the private property in the riverbank villages, Harindra observed. Meanwhile, the government said the identified 29 village had a population of nearly 1.2 lakh of which 32,140 are SCs, 4663 STs and 65,000 from other castes. In all, 10,656 farmer families are residing in the capital area and of them 1919 are from SCs, and 417 from STs. Meanwhile, under pressure from ministers and local legislators, a group of 17 farmers, mostly from the ruling TDP, left for Hyderabad to discuss the issue of land pooling with Chandrababu Naidu. (Times of India 8/12/14) National Highways may get exemption from resettleme nt and rehabilitation policy (4) NEW DELHI: The Indian government may exempt national highways from the resettlement and rehabilitation provisions of the much-criticised land acquisition law as it looks to revive road construction as part of its overall plan to reboot infrastructure development in the country. A senior government official said that highway development, which has come to a grinding halt because of various reasons, including the virtual impossibility of acquiring land to build roads on, is being considered for exemption from various procedural requirements of the Act. While the government is considering a general relaxation in some provisions of the Act, a special exemption is being considered for national highways. That's because, unlike industries, road developers can't promise rehabilitation in terms of providing jobs to land holders among other things."We are ready to compensate even more than what the land acquisition Act asks for but it involves a very complex process which we can do away with since infrastructure is a priority," the official told ET. Compensation for land would be based on the highways ministry's own norms, with R&R not feasible in such projects. Besides roads, similar so-called linear projects in sectors such as railways could also be given such treatment. The Narendra Modi government, elected on a mandate to step up development, wants to upgrade and expand India's creaking, congested infrastructure that's seen as a hindrance to growth and speed up projects by removing procedural hurdles. It's considering legal changes to facilitate this. The Land Acquisition Act introduced by the previous Congress led United Progressive Alliance government has drawn flak from multiple quarters including industry and state governments besides central ministries and departments. Congress-ruled states have also raised concerns over the cumbersome procedures prescribed by law that have halted land acquisition for infrastructure projects. In 2013-14, a total of 4,260 km of national highways were developed, down from 5,732 km the year before. As of October, only 1,984 km has been developed in the current fiscal year. The department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) has also criticised the land acquisition law as an obstruction to development. Inter-ministerial consultations have already been initiated on the changes required, another official said. The government will also discuss the matter with political parties before amending the law.The new Act, which replaced the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, requires developers to get the consent of 80 per cent of land owners in the case of private projects and 70 per cent in case of public-private partnership projects. In order to fast track infrastructure development, roads minister Nitin Gadkari had said that bids would be called for highway projects only after 80 per cent of the land required had been acquired."It will be helpful wherever there is a greenfield project because the land requirement will be significant," said Vinayak Chatterjee, chairman, Feedback Infrastructure. (Times of India 10/12/14) Supreme Court social justice bench hears PILs (4) New Delhi: The newly-constituted special “Social Justice Bench” of the Supreme Court Friday had its first hearings and took up matters of Narmada dam project, shelters for homeless persons, welfare of construction workers and exploitation of children in circuses, among others. The special bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and U.U. Lalit first took up the 2002 plea of Narmada Bachao Aandolan and asked parties, including NBA activist Medha Patkar, to file short synopsis by December 24 as it did not want to

waste time going through records running into thousands of pages. “So all of you should have your brief ready on or before December 24. The time shall not be extended... We want the matter to be pushed...,” it said and fixed it for hearing on January 9. The court then heard a 2005 petition filed by Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram seeking welfare of tribals and asked the Centre to file a comprehensive affidavit on the issues arising out of the public interest litigation. This matter was followed by the hearing of a PIL on exploitation of children in circuses in which the Supreme court had banned their participation three years ago. After briefly hearing the issues arising in matters like child labour, child trafficking and child bondage, the bench directed the ministry of women and child welfare to act as a nodal agency and convene a meeting of secretaries concerned of states and Union Territories to ensure compliance of its directions. It also directed the secretary of Union ministry of women and child welfare to hold meetings with other Central ministries concerned like MHA and labour. The first meeting involving all the stakeholders should be convened before January 12, it said. (Asian Age 14/12/14) Medha Supports 'Nilpu Samaram'(4) THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Activist Medha Patkar was in the city on Sunday to offer support to the lengthy ‘Nilpu Samaram’. “158 days of the standing satyagraha has been completed. It is shameful for the government of Kerala not to have resolved the issues in spite of there being a dialogue with the Tribal Development, Forest and Social Justice Ministers and the Chief Minister as well as KPCC chief V M Sudheeran and leaders of ruling parties,” she said. Medha said that she would be meeting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy later in the night with members of the National Alliance of People Movement and other activists to discuss the issue. “They are ‘Adivasis’, the original inhabitants and everyone else has come to encroach upon their land,” she said. “A K Antony, in dialogue with the then Central government led by A B Vajpayee, had committed to the Adivasis to give 5 acres of land per family, including to those who were displaced unjustly, unconstitutionally and undemocratically. But that did not come true after one or two years of implementing. Whatever enactment the UPA government brought out, whether the New Land Acquisition Act, Forest Rights Act 2006 or PESA, none has been fully implemented,” she said. She added, “While Sudheeran and his colleagues are fighting the anti-liquor battle, which we are all for, they say they have almost reached a total consensus (on the Adivasi issue). Why is the outcome not visible?” She said that areas like Aralam, where the number of Adivasis is more than 8,000, should be grated the status of a scheduled area, and thereby ensure good governance. She compared the satyagraha, to the agitation for Narmada. “We are used to standing on the waters of Narmada. The Modi government has decided that the water level be increased from 122 m to 139 m. Billions of trees, temples, mosques, schools, dispensaries, houses, townships and 245 villages are going to be drowned, if the Modi government goes its own way, considering only the interests of the corporates of Gujarat,” said Medha. (New Indian Express 15/12/14) Slum dwellers in Bhubaneswar's Ward 51 demand house s before eviction (4) BHUBANESWAR: Residents of Farm Gate near Siripur Sabar Sahi in Ward 51 have demanded that they be relocated first and then evicted. About 150 families in the locality are faced with being displaced so that Biju Patnaik Airport can extend its boundary wall. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) decided last year to extend boundary wall towards the south-west side and asked for more land from the state government. The general administration department conducted a survey and found that around 150 families have to vacate the land to make way for the construction of the boundary wall. "We are not opposing the construction of the boundary wall or the displacement of people, but the families to be displaced must be given alternative accommodation before being evicted. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has conducted a survey for construction of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) houses for the residents but no progress has been made," said Nihar Mallik, president of Trinath Mazdoor Basti Sangha, a private body working for the welfare of slum dwellers. He said that since the residents have been enlisted as RAY beneficiaries, the government shouldn't renege on its promise of providing RAY houses

elsewhere after the residents are displaced. Airport director Sharada Kumar said they needed more space as the airport runway starts from that direction. "The matter is pending with the state government, which will take a final call. The land will be transferred in the name of AAI," said Kumar. The present length of the airport boundary is 13 km, he added. Local corporator Binayani Jena said slum dwellers had been living in Sabar Sahi and Farm Gate localities for more than four decades. "About 90 per cent of those facing displacement are poor. They have set up their small businesses for earning their livelihood. I think the airport, which is going to be benefitted by extending boundary walls, should also announce some compensation packages for the displaced," said Jena. The ward is also grappling with illicit sale of country liquor. "Alcoholics create a lot of problems here. I have requested the police to intensify patrolling and stop sale of liquor," she said. (Times of India 15/12/14) Brinda Karat Threatens Stir Over Polavaram (4) HYDERABAD: With the Andhra Pradesh government planning to complete the Polavaram project in three years, tribal rights’ organisation, Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Mancha has decided to take the government head-on, particularly on the issue of rehabilitation of tribals. CPM politburo member and AARM vice-president Brinda Karat, who was here to attend a two-day meet of the organisation, said Sunday that Polavaram was a key issue and they would not compromise on the rights of the tribals. “The Centre is completely ignoring the interests of tribals living in villages which will be submerged by the Polavaram project in the agency areas. This is an indication of criminal negligence,” she said. Stating that the Centre’s move amounted to denial of basic democratic rights of the tribals and violation of the Forest Rights Act, she alleged the Ministry of Environment was clearing a number of projects without regard to the tribals’ rights. “Ever since the NDA government came to power, the attack on tribal rights has increased,” she alleged and warned that her party would not keep quiet. (New Indian Express 16/12/14) Jindals to return farmers’ land, says Mamata (4) KOLKATA: Opening a new chapter in industry-government ‘bonhomie’, the Sajjan Jindal group has agreed to return to farmers the land acquired from them for the integrated steel project it had proposed to set up at Salboni in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipore district. Announcing this, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the Jindals were doing it as a “token of respect to the farmers who had given their land.” The development is sure to be contrasted with Singur where there is a deadlock over return of 400 acres of land to farmers. “I will not be able to sleep easy till I get back the land,” she had said about Singur, making the return of land from the Tatas a top agenda of her government since she came to power in May 2011. Ms Banerjee said return of land at Salboni was the first step. In the second step, they will decide on what to do with the balance land vested with the government. She further stated that the company has not been able to keep its promise of giving shares to land-losers as the project did not fructify. The Jindals have announced that they were putting the project on hold as it was not a feasible one. They said they had neither the iron ore linkage nor the coal blocks (whose allocations were cancelled following the apex court order). The foundation stone for the Rs 35,000-crore project was laid on November 2, 2008 in the presence of former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Apart from the nearly 4000 acres given to the Jindals from vested land, the group also directly acquired 294 acres from farmers at Rs 3 lakh per acre. The land would be returned free and a committee has been set up under the District Magistrate. An official at Jindal Steel Ltd said there was no timeline on returning the land. (The Hindu 16/12/14) 1,300 acres of SEZ land lying vacant in Hassan (4) Hassan: The special economic zones developed by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board in over 1,300 acres on the outskirts of Hassan city lies deserted. While majority of the land is vacant, many units that have got land sanctioned have not started functioning. The industrial area was developed in 2007. In the last seven years, land has been allotted to 16 units. Among them, eight are functioning, two

are under construction, three are in different stages of allotment and implementation and three are not functioning. The entire 250 acres of Hardware Zone have been allotted to one unit. But Opto Infrastructure Ltd., which has got the land in Hardware Zone, has only constructed a compound wall. The SEZs were developed by acquiring agricultural land. “People of the villages near Hassan gave their land away for a couple of lakhs. They thought many industries would come there and their children would get jobs. But, nothing has happened so far,” said B.R. Manjunath, a resident of Hassan. Now, farmers in nearby villages have been making use of the place to dry their agricultural produce. “If the land had remained with farmers all these years, they would have cultivated potato or ginger and earned good money,” said Prakash, resident of Katihalli. A.M. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Development Officer of KIADB, said the Board had issued notices to all those companies, which failed to start production within two years of allotment. “We warn them of withdrawing land if they do not start the industry,” he said. However, so far, the KIADB has not been able to withdraw an acre of land allotted, as the companies move court challenging the Board’s measures. (The Hindu 21/12/14) infrastructural development are seen in the industr ial corridor -- Medha Patkar (4) NEW DELHI -- The Indian Social Institute (ISI) organised its annual Fr. Paul de La Gueriviere Third Memorial Lecture on the topic ‘Corporatisation of Democracy: Challenges for Inclusive Development’ on Lodi Road. The lecture was delivered by social activist and the founder member of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Medha Patkar. The Institute was honoured to have Prof. Surinder Singh Jodhka, Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi as the Chair of the programme. In his welcome note, Dr. Xavier, the Executive Director of the Institute, described Fr. Paul de La Gueriviere as a Great Missionary working for the upliftment and development of the marginalized section of the society and the conscience of the institute. Expressing concern about the way democracy is lived, he also strongly stated against the development that flows from the barrel of gun. Referring to caste system, the Chairperson of the programme, Prof. Surinder Singh Jodhka, noted that the Indian society is not democratic and promotes hierarchy. He observed that exclusion is aggressively propagated in Indian society. Caste system was pointed out as the greatest fact that hinders the people from seeing the truth of oppression in society, stated Prof. Vijay Prakash. Prof. Ashish Nandi shared about various changes in Indian democracy. People’s choice for heroic figure was one such observation made. He also expressed regret at the fact that homelessness and pauperisation have become necessary parts of development. Terming the topic of the lecture to be close to heart and heartburning, Medha Patkar noted that inequality had taken the toll of not only the framework and process of democracy, but also of life. She equivocally stated that the benefits of infrastructural development are seen in the industrial corridor. Observing the pattern of land grabbing by the corporates with the help of the State, she also stated that democracy and State have been corporatised. Indian Social Institute, founded in 1951, is engaged in research, training, action and advocacy in socio economic development and the promotion and protection of human rights of particularly the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the most Backward Castes, the Minorities, the unorganised and landless labourers and women. (New Observer Post 22/12/14) Panel will decide min rate for land acquisition in state (4) Mumbai: With several projects stuck because of problems in compensation to private land owners, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to form a committee that will come up with a formula and decide the minimum rate to pay. The panel will be headed by chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya. The decision was taken following a discussion on Vidarbha development in the winter session of the state legislature, where several legislators pointed out the lacunae in the compensation procedure. Many projects in the state, including the Navi Mumbai airport, Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor, and Jaitapur nuclear plant, have been stuck because of acquisition issues, which have resulted in huge cost escalations. “There was significant difference between the compensation being given if the central land acquisition policy was

followed and the one given by the state. And the amount was completely different when directly negotiated by the agency. This was creating an atmosphere of mistrust among farmers giving up their land, and delaying the acquisition process,” the decision taken through a government resolution (GR) dated December 24 said. According to the GR, the seven-member committee headed by Kshatriya will include additional chief secretary (ACS) planning, and ACS finance, and principal secretaries of the water resources, revenue, forest, and urban development departments. It also called for the law and judiciary department to study the 2013 central land acquisition act, and then use it for helping the committee fix a formula, so that a minimum rate can be arrived at. They have been asked to chart out a separate policy for acquisitions related to dam projects. The committee will need to ensure that all land to be acquired will follow a single formula, which will mean that all owners will get the same compensation. “According to the 2013 act, you can’t pay any token compensation or advance. Also, social impact assessments need to be done. Currently, several land owners end up getting more than the market rate. The panel will have to take this into consideration,” a senior government official told HT. (Hindustan Times 26/12/14) Haryana revokes land acquisition (4) GURGAON: Keeping in view the larger interest of the farmers, the Haryana Government has decided not to acquire 3,664 acres and four canals across 16 villages for setting up the Manesar-Bawal Industrial Area in Rewari district. This decision was taken by the State Cabinet at its meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here on Tuesday. A committee comprising Industries Minister Capt. Abhimanyu, Public Works Department Minister Rao Narbir Singh, and Minister of State for Co-operation Bikram Singh Yadav had been constituted to discuss the issue with the farmers. After detailed discussions with the land owners and representatives of the people of the area, the committee recommended that other options, including acquisition of less fertile land at other places along the (Mumbai-Delhi) Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, be explored. It is pertinent to mention here that the legislators of Ateli and Nangal Chaudhary have offered to make available more than 2,000 acres of land for this project as an alternative. According to government sources, the high compensation rate being demanded by the farmers was making the project unviable, forcing the committee to decide against acquisition of land and recommend relocation. The said project was conceived by the previous Congress government in the State and was opposed by the farmers. The farmers had resorted to large-scale violence on National Highway-8 two years ago following which the then Congress government put the land acquisition on hold and set up a committee for peaceful resolution of the matter. (The Hindu 26/12/14) Farmers mull approaching court over land pooling (4 ) VIJAYAWADA: Farmers, who upped the ante against the government’s move to acquire their fertile lands without giving a clear picture of compensation and other aspects, are mulling legal remedies in the event of forcible acquisition of their lands. These farmers asserted that they would take to legal recourse, if the government continues to mount pressure on them for parting with their lands. A delegation of farmers organisations and civil society headed by retired High Court judge justice P. Laxman Reddy interacted with farmers of Undavalli, Penumaka, Venkatapalem and other areas notified under the Capital Region on Friday under the “Rythu Chaitanya Yatra”. The delegation told the farmers that the government would not be in a position to forcibly take their lands, going by the provisions made in the Capital Region Development Authority Bill passed in the Assembly recently. If the lands were acquired without a voluntary consent of farmers, it would amount to acquisition there by attracting the provisions under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 passed by Parliament. The delegations visit provided a platform to farmers to give vent to their strong Opposition to surrendering the lands. TThe delegation including Jana Vignana Vedika president V. Laxman Reddy, Bharatiya Kisan Morcha convenor Kumara Swamy and others visited Mandada, Uddandapalem and interacted with farmers on the issue, he added. (The Hindu 27/12/14)