The Hindu Business Line : `Dependent farmers' future livelihood issue fully addressed'

MR SITARAM YECHURY, Rajya Sabha MP and CPI (M) Polit Bureau member, and Mr Santosh Saraf, Merchants' Chamber of Commerce President, at a meeting on `Indian Economy - The Leftist Vision' in Kolkata on Thursday. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Kolkata , Jan. 4

Land acquisition for rapid industrialisation can be done either by adopting "ruthless rural impoverishment" or "by directly incorporating the landowners into the process of industrialisation through both adequate compensation and alternative employment opportunities".

Presenting his views on the "Indian economy: Leftists' vision", at an interactive session organised by the Merchants Chamber of Commerce here on Thursday, Mr Sitaram Yechury, Member of Politburo and CPI (M) Member of Rajya Sabha, said that in West Bengal the second method was being adopted, providing for future livelihood of the land-dependent farmer through both compensation, at more than the prevailing market rates and alternative employment scope through skills training, which has already started in Singur.

Speaking in the context of the Singur land (of nearly 1,000 acres) controversy shrouding the Tata small car project, Mr Yechury said the money offered for the land by the Bengal Government at one-and-a-half times the market price was the highest. Going by back-of-the-envelope calculations, he said some 11,100 people had lined up for compensation in Singur, for the said 1,000 acres, which made it some 11 owners per acre of land, and which in turn meant one-tenth of an acre per family.

Wondering how it may be possible for a family to survive on such meagre land, the compensation given was more than adequate, if viewed in conjunction with the alternative employment scope offered, including skills training at no cost to the farmers. There is bound to be some discontent in any process of change, especially with regard to sale of land for industrialisation, he pointed out.

Seeking change in laws to smoothen the process in future, Mr Yechury said the existing Land Acquisition Act in the country, legislated way back in 1894, should be replaced by a new Act - a kind of central legislation for guiding the States in such matters of land acquisition for industrial projects.

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