Land Acquisition Bill: The Details

"Whoever is opposing this Bill should clearly state the clauses they are referring to. Are you against the move that farmers will get a compensation four times the value of their land?"

While the government's ordinance is aimed at unlocking hundreds of billions of dollars worth of projects stuck for want of land, opposition parties and rights activists say it discriminates against farmers. The ordinance is a temporary order and needs the approval of both houses of parliament to take permanent effect. It will lapse if parliament does not ratify it in this session.

Jaitley asked the opposition parties not to make infrastructure and industry “bad words” in the garb of taking pro-poor and pro-farmer positions....... Apart from national security, the proposed amendments bring rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors, and infrastructure projects, including PPP projects in which government owns the land, in the special category that does not require consent of the landowners or SIA.

English: topographic map of India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I need to educate myself.

I am not aware of the details of the bill. All I am seeing is people are strongly supporting it, and strongly opposing it. It is obviously an emotionally charged issue.

India is a country of small farmers. And I can see how land acquisition can be an emotionally charged issue.

I have no doubt it needs to be done. But then I also have no doubt it needs to be done right. An open, inclusive discussion has to take place. Amendments have to be made as necessary. But the work needs to get done. How else can India become a First World country?