The Hindu Business Line : Land utilisation

The article `Has development landed India in a crisis?' (Business Line, May 18) highlighted the issue of short-supply of land, one of the factors of production, along with labour, capital and organisation.

The article states that capital is available on tap while land is not. Land and natural resources are, however, available in plenty.

What is important is their utilisation. Land with adequate water and irrigational facilities must be reserved for agriculture alone.

Barren land can be better used by earmarking it for, say, Special Economic Zones (SEZs). But the tendency in India is to initiate development efforts and new projects on developed and fertile land, more suited for agriculture.

Such decisions are often based on the political connections and financial clout of the promoters.

Land for industrial projects must be allotted after detailed evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages.

And issues such as rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced people must be discussed in detail even at the proposal stage.

Promoters must draw the right lessons from the Nandigram and Kalinga Nagar incidents.

K. K.Ammannaya

Udupi

Letters to the editor and contributions can be sent by e-mail to: bleditor@thehindu.co.in

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