This “activist” was quite different from the suit-wearing PIL litigant or the Left-leaning jholawala. In the run up to Anna Hazare’s first fast over an anti-corruption law in April, a communications company provided the technical support to a service in which, if mobile users called a toll-free number, they would then receive free alerts on the protests. The service was one of an array of technologies — from Twitter updates...
More »SEARCH RESULT
A good Bill that disappoints by Ramaswamy R Iyer
One started reading the new Draft National Land Acquisition and Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill 2011 with expectations of a great improvement over the 2007 Bills. There are indeed some very good features in the new Bill but, on the whole, one must regretfully report disappointment. Let us see how the Bill deals with some of the key issues involved. (i) Acquisition of agricultural land: The Bill rules out the acquisition, not...
More »Only 19 projects were denied green clearance from 2008 to Aug 2011 by Nitin Sethi
Are environmental clearances delaying industrial development in the country? Some in the government might claim so and argue for further easing of green norms but government data shows otherwise. In the past three years, the rate of rejection of projects for environmental clearance was an insignificant 1.13%. Out of the 1,689 projects that the environment ministry decided upon from 2008 up to August 2011, only 19 were rejected. The ministry...
More »Opposition slams govt over bill scrapping land restoration
The UP government has deepened the ongoing controversy over land acquisition in the state by bringing the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development (amendment) Bill 2011 which was passed by the Assembly on Thursday. The bill seeks to remove a provision that gave landowners the right to ask for restoration of their acquired land if it was unused for five years. Section 17 of the UP Urban Planning and Development Act 1973...
More »NOIDA land acquisition: More farmers to move court
-PTI Stepping up pressure on the Uttar Pradesh government for better compensation, more farmers in NOIDA Friday decided to move court seeking to quash acquisition of their land. At a panchayat meeting in Sadullapur, farmers decided to file petitions to quash acquisition of their acquired properties. "Without court case, authorities do not agree for negotiations," farmer leader Surinder Bhatti said. At other panchayat meetings in Amnabad, Jewar and Dankore areas, farmers were of...
More »