The Governments bid to protect tribals through accepting the recommendation to give flexibilty to states in acquring land is hardly a step forward in improving the bill and the rights of marginalized people. In what way does this change work in favor of tribals and marginalized communities? Do you see this felxibilty as a positive change? While the media may celebrate the new bill, we still oppose it. Flexibilty for the state as opposed to giving more power to the marginalizd communities, does not put them in control of their land. One must continue to look beyond the bills’ new title, Right to Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency to see the real changes, or lack thereof, being made. What do you see as still requring adequete review and consideration to rectify the turmoils experienced by unjust land acquistion? – comment by web editor, NAPM

New Delhi: In a bid to protect the interests of tribals, Government has accepted a key recommendation of a Parliamentary panel to give flexibility to states in acquiring land. 

UPA’s ambitious Land Acquisition Bill, rechristened as the Right to Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act is likely to be tabled in the Monsoon session of Parliament after positive feedback from various ministries. 

Sources said the Rural Development Ministry has accepted a key recommendation of the Standing Committee on Rural Development which gave flexibility to states in acquiring land. 

“The recommendation that gives greater role to gram sabhas has been accepted. The recommendations that further protect the interests of tribal communities have been accepted. Yet another recommendation that says the government should not be involved in any land acquisition has, however, been rejected,” an official said. 

Another major recommendation of the panel that Public Private Partnership be kept outside Land Acquisition has been rejected, he said. 

The Rural Development Ministry has received comments on the bill from the Agriculture Ministry, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Panchayati Raj Ministry, National Commission for SC/ST and the Planning Commission. 

They have “broadly supported” the content of the UPA’s ambitious Land Acquisition Bill, sources said. 

The Ministry is still waiting for comments from Ministry of Commerce and Industry. “We have also taken on board PMO’s comments,” they said. 

PTI