Gujarat: No forcible land acquisition for private firms

The Gujarat government is working on a new land acquisition policy that will make sure that no farmland is acquired forcibly for the setting up of private companies.

For the first time,we are planning to bring in such farmland acquisition and land losers R&R (Resettlement and Rehabilitation) policy in which private land acquisition will be made 100 per cent with farmers consent only. Government will not do any forceful acquisition for any private company, said state Principal Revenue Secretary P Pannervel. He added that the new policy would be applicable to state government projects also.

Gujarat has been witnessing frequent opposition from farmers while acquiring land,an example being the opposition against setting up of the Nirma Cement Plant in Mahuva.

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In the new policy,there will be provisions for providing alternate land and attempts will be made for minimum segregation of farmers land.

It will also make it clear that private firms will have to directly deal with the farmers for land acquisition. The government will do forceful acquisition only in case of public utility projects like national highways but while protecting farmers interests. We hope to bring in this new policy within a month, said Pannervel.