If one issue tops the agenda of politicians, it is undoubtedly allocation of land for setting up of institutions and industrial establishments that they never forget to mention irrespective of platforms and occasions.
Politicians, Chief Minister, Union Ministers were all dragged in one of the hotly debated topic of Jharkhand on the occasion of foundation stone laying of Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi (IIM-R) on July 29 Grabbing the opportunity, Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh conveyed Government of India's vision on land acquisition and departure from the archaic provisions of land Acquisition Act.
"We have arrived at a consensus on land Acquisition Bill and it will be tabled in the Parliament very soon," said Ramesh. Making most of the opportune moment, the Union Minister tried to strike a chord with the residents of Cherri, assembled on the occasion, and assured them of doing away with the draconian provisions of the Act said to be against the interests of the farmers, land owners and displaced.
"The provision of the Act in its current form favours government, businesses and corporate houses," maintained Ramesh adding "the Act will be changed." Significantly, Ramesh assured that compensation and allied issues will be addressed in the proposed bill which incidentally is also available for public scrutiny.Earlier, Ranchi MP Subod Kant Sahay brought the spotlight on the issue of land which is central to a tribal's life and culture of tribal hinterland and stressed on a harmony between development models for the state with sentiments of the tribal population.
"Issue of land is important for the people of Jharkhand. It is their life hence there should be a model so that the State as well as the people prosper at the same time," said Sahay.For Kanke MlA Ramchandra Baitha, providing job to a land owner affected by the construction of IIM-R is the ideal way to compensate the loss. Meanwhile, Government of India and political parties had been at loggerheads over provisions of the proposed land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill for a significantly longer period of time.