Farm scientists call land law amendments ‘suicidal’

After several farmers’ organisations, it is now the turn of agricultural scientists, representing various research institutions, to criticise the Land Acquisition Bill.

On Monday, senior agricultural scientists told the joint Parliamentary panel, looking into the amendments to the 2013 legislation, that reducing cultivable land can pose a serious threat to the food security of the country.

Representatives, including Vice-Chancellors of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Professor Jayshankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendra Agricultural University, Punjab Agricultural University and Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, appeared before the panel.

Scientists told the panel that it will be “suicidal” if the Government proceeds with the amendments. They said while 17 per cent of the world’s population is in India, “we have just four per cent of the water and two per cent of the land”.

A member of the panel said: “Most of them were of unanimous opinion that if we need a sustainable agriculture production, irrigated and cultivable land should not be handed over to develop industries. Even if cultivable land is allotted for important infrastructure development such as Railways and roads, it must be compensated by adding a similar area of land for agriculture.”

The scientists said industrial development should not be at the cost of food security. “They said 1.3 lakh hectares of land are being taken out of cultivation every year and told us that no compromise should be made on the issue of food security,” another member added.

Meanwhile, the committee has got an extension of one week to submit its report. Various States are likely to depose before the panel next Monday.

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