Gujarat shows the way ahead

Te Gujarat government acquires agricultural land for the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC). The land losers/sellers are made a part of the industrialisation process by giving them a share of the resources generated. Mahesh Langa reports

Under the new policy on land acquisition unveiled in 2010, the Gujarat government acquires agricultural land, not in a piecemeal manner for individual projects, but for the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC). The land losers/sellers are made a part of the industrialisation process by giving them a share of the resources generated.

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The compensation is based on actual market prices. Besides, the seller gets 10% of the differential amount the GIDC gets from the sale. The seller also has the option of buying back 1% of his land after it is developed, at a token price.

Then, the GIDC sponsors one person per family for an ITI training course and provides employment to one member of each project-hit family.

So far, the GIDC has developed and sold 26,000 hectares. But recently, the state had to abandon the acquisition process across 44 villages near Ahmedabad due to a farmers’ agitation.