Activists want Land Acquisition Act to be scrapped

A group of NGOs held a protest rally in New Delhi on Thursday demanding immediate scrapping of the Land Acquisition Act and setting up of a joint Parliamentary Committee and issuance of a White Paper on displacement and rehabilitation.

A group of NGOs held a protest rally in New Delhi on Thursday demanding immediate scrapping of the Land Acquisition Act and setting up of a joint Parliamentary Committee and issuance of a White Paper on displacement and rehabilitation.

HT Image

Maintaining that development is possible without 'eviction' of people, social activist Medha Patkar asked the government to scrap the Act, saying it was 'anti-people' and 'favours big companies'.

UPA government has returned to power on the basis of NREGA and tribal welfare but now they are implementing the Land Acquisition Act, which is more regressive than the century-old British land acquisition legislation, she said.

Besides, Patkar warned the authorities that the Act has become a movement and they are united against it.

In the two-day rally, organised by National Alliance of People's Movement, a conglomeration of people's organisations, activists from across the country are participating.

Among others present in the first day's demonstration were noted journalist Kuldip Nayar, social activists Ramaswamy Iyer, Gautam Bandopadhyay and Arvind Kajrewal.