AGARTALA, July 15 (TIWN): Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Wednesday attending the second NITI Aayog meeting at New Delhi chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed, “The amendment which was proposed and passed in its place repealing the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 weakens minimal safeguards to farmers. They are stepped backwards towards the framework of the LAA of 1894.” Amidst the boycott called by Congress ruled state, PM Modi chaired the Second Meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi. The Council held consultations on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act. Tripura CM attending the meeting on Wednesday demanded that Land Aquisition should be based on prior informed consent of affected persons with the least displacement and for a democratically established public purpose. Consultation and approval from Panchayats and Gram Sabhas for public purpose, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, Social Impact Assessment, etc must also be ensured, claimed Sarkar. On his key note address on the Amendments proposed in second ordinance, 2015 to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 Sarkar claimed “It will bring private companies and their activities of unbridled profiteering into public purpose.”

Even though the 1894 Act allowed the use of the state’s Eminent Domain to forcibly acquire land for public purpose, acquisition could not be done for “Private purposes” of a company, and had to be made in the “larger public interest”, Sarkar addressed.

Sarkar said that the few safeguards against indiscriminate land acquisition, land use change and wanton displacement have been dropped. An impartial assessment as to how many families will be affected, is the land being acquired the bare minimal, whether alternative sites are available, whether a Project is in the largest interest of the people also must be carried out, Tripura CM urged the central government.

Adding Sarkar said, “Such Social Impact Assessment must be mandatory and binding having no scope for being over-ruled.”

However, the LAA of 1894 was repealed and The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 was passed in its place. This act had emerged through long deliberations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and a consultative process involving different political parties, organisations of the peasantry, rural people and concerned individuals to try and achieve a consensus.

After the formation of Modi Government, several States had raised concerns with regard to the implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

Many States had felt that development work was suffering due to the provisions of the 2013 Act; and some Chief Ministers had requested for changes in the Act, and sent letters to this effect.  

The Prime Minister said that the Ordinance was brought about in response to these development concerns of the States, and also to ensure that farmers continue to receive their legitimate due.