The debate in the Congress and the UPA government over land acquisition acquired a new edge with party president Sonia Gandhi favouring a balanced approach in securing land for industrial purposes without losing large fertile tracts. "New industries and infrastructure cannot be built without acquiring land. This is obvious and there is no argument about it. "But land acquisition must be done in a manner that it does not result...

IN THE ‘environment versus development’ debate, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opted to take the middle path. Addressing environmental concerns was important but it cannot be at the cost of perpetuating poverty, he said. Lest pro-industry groups mistake his stance as undiluted support, Mr Singh stressed that environmental concerns are “here to stay.” If the Greens felt that their writ would run, they too were to be disappointed. He has made...

The discussion paper on compulsory licensing of patents will have achieved its purpose if it can lead to a proactive policy in the area of drugs and health. IN a proactive move to ensure a fair balance between protection of intellectual property rights and protection of the public interest, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has chosen to put out a discussion...

tung by farmers’ protest over land acquisition for the ongoing Yamuna Expressway project in western Uttar Pradesh, the state government today announced a new policy for land acquisition and rehabilitation of land owners. The policy promises sops, including equity share in the development projects, for land owners. Land acquisition hurdles have put brakes on several ambitious projects of the state government, including the Yamuna Expressway, international airport in Kushinagar district and Lucknow...

The State Government has introduced a string of changes to the land acquisition process for industrial purposes, giving farmers the option to either take a stake in the industrialisation process or settle for fair compensation. All land being acquired across the State by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board will be eligible for compensation at a rate higher than the market value and not the guidance value fixed by the revenue...