The 117-year-old Land Acquisition Act cries out for reform, but there is resistance to introducing positive changes. The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to amend the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, has had a long period of gestation. The Union Ministry of Rural Development initiated the process of amendment way back in October 1998. But it took around 10 years for the government to bring the Bill before Parliament. The 1894...

Agitators have threatened self-immolation if demands are not met The State government has opened negotiations with agitating farmers in Katesar village in Chandauli district bordering Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The farmers, who have been protesting the acquisition of fertile agricultural land for a cultural and institutional hub on the banks of the Ganga, continued with their dharna on Monday. They have threatened self-immolation if the land acquisition process launched by the Varanasi...

-The Times of India   The state government on Monday took yet another step forward in ensuring smooth land acquisition for the mega Posco steel plant in Jagatsinghpur, assuring to fulfil certain demands of a pro-industry outfit having considerable clout in the project area. At a meeting in Cuttack, the revenue divisional commissioner (central range) Pradipta Mohapatra assured representatives of the United Action Committee (UAC) that the government would consider fulfiling...

-PTI   The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking a CBI enquiry into the alleged excesses and violence unleashed by the Uttar Pradesh government on Farmers Protesting against "forcible" acquisition of land at Bhatta Parsaul. A bench of justices G S Singhvi and C K Prasad asked the petitioner to approach the Allahabad High Court since it had already taken cognisance and was dealing with the issue. Senior...

People in a village in Gujarat have raised a banner of revolt against a proposed nuclear power plant in the state. It comes close on the heels of the ongoing protest against a nuclear plant planned at Jaitapur in neighbouring Maharashtra. Emboldened by Anna Hazare’s support to Gujarat farmers who are resisting handing over their lands to the industries, farmers from six villages in Bhavnagar district have pledged not to allow...