Greater Noida, July 30 (IANS) Greater Noida farmers agitating over land takeover by the Uttar Pradesh government Saturday supported the central government’s draft acquisition bill, and said it would ensure that their livelihood is not snatched away on the pretext of development.
For land owners and those whose livelihood depends on land, the draft bill calls for a subsistence allowance of Rs.3,000 per month per family for 12 months, and Rs.2,000 per month per family as annuity for 20 years, indexed to inflation.
The proposed provisions for compensation in rural and urban areas would ensure peasants’ survival but the earnings of the farmers would not match those of the urban elite, said a farmer.
‘The new bill ensures that it would not be possible for the officers to snatch our livelihood under the pretext of planned development,’ he said.
The thrust of the draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, unveiled Friday, is on compensation based on market value, not less than twice that in urban areas and not less than six times in rural areas. It also ensures a job in projects, or compensation of Rs.200,000, for a family member of land-seller and tenant.
‘The new bill provides us some relief but compensation is very less. For example, either a grant of Rs.2 lakh or a job for one person from the family of land seller. It is absolutely mismatched,’ said Satya Pal Chaudhary, a Dehat Morcha leader on whose suit the Allahabad High Court quashed the land acquisition in village Shahberi.
Sadullapur village head Ranvir Nagar said the urgency clause was clearly defined under the new bill. The land can be taken over only for national security or for an infrastructure need of the national interest. ‘This is justifiable,’ he said.
Rinku Yadav of Sharfabad said: ‘Although the new bill provides some relief to the farmers, urbanisation is a regular process and there will always be an apprehension of land being snatched.’
The provision on sparing irrigated land from acquisition under the new bill is the only real relief for farmers, said Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rajvir Singh.
