Farmers' land should be acquired only with their consent

The land should be acquired by government for national development only with the consent of the farmers or whoever the owner is.National Advisory Council (NAC) has rightly suggested that land owners be given six times the registered value of their land as compensation if it is acquired for development projects like dams and highways. The Land Acquisition Act of 1894 is now out dated. So, it requires to be modified immediately. The faulty land acquisition act is the result of the recent farmers’ unrest in Greater Noida villages. The agriculture has been the primary source of livelihood in India. Land is the invaluable assets for farmers. The government must have power to acquire land of the farmers for purposeful work but in return it must compensate the land owners adequately. The acquired land must also be meant for the development of the nation. Any private party who is allowed to acquire the farmers cultivable land must not be for only development of individual’s business and industry. There also be provision that unless and untill 70 percent of the farmers agree to give their land for the development of the public of that area as well as the nation, acquisition must not be carried out. Before acquiring the cultivable land of the farmers, they must be properly and adequately given compensation and made arrangement for rehabilitation.As far as the issue of land acquisition by the government and private party is concerned, the agricultural land only be acquired when there is no barren land left to used. If the case of Nandigram and Singur is anything to go by, the government must be alive to the consequences. Otherwise, farmers’ unrest is bound to take place. It is good that the NAC has reached a consensus on combining the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, and Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill into a single National Development, Acquisition, Displacement and Rehabilitation Bill.All land transfers for public purpose must come under the purview of this law.There was consensus in the Council on inclusion persons working on the land into the category of project affected persons which would make them eligible for receiving compensation. This would be recognise the most invisible persons in the land acquisition process who lose their source of livelihood once the land is acquired. The NAC recommendations also include giving farmers the right to annuity for a certain number of years over and above the compensation for the land acquired from him.