M A I N   N E W S

Expert panel to look into land reforms
Tribune News Service

The decision was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad in the backdrop of a massive rally of over 25,000 persons from 18 states that reached the Capital on Sunday, demanding rights to land and livelihood. Prasad met Singh this morning to finalise details of the announcement.

Terms of reference Detailed consideration of and making recommendations on issues related to ceiling on land holdings, distribution of land to eligible persons, including landless and homestead landless and for ensuring their possession, speedier disposal of land-related court cases and necessary mechanisms.

Agitators’ demands included the setting up of national land authority, fast-track courts and single window system to deal with land and livelihood disputes. As many as 200 foreigners from 30 countries are also participating in the rally, lending support to the cause of the tribals, adivasis and landless workers.

Prasad assured that the committee would carry required field surveys and studies, collate necessary data and make recommendations to the National Land Reforms Council headed by the Prime Minister. “The committee will look into all related issues, including land reforms and make specific recommendations on policies related to land, speedier disposal of land-related court cases and judicial forums,” he said.

The recommendations will be considered by the Central government for appropriate decisions and making recommendations and giving advice to the state governments.

Broad terms of reference of the committee will include detailed consideration of and making recommendations on issues related to ceiling on land holdings, distribution of land to eligible persons, including landless and homestead landless and for ensuring their possession, speedier disposal of land-related court cases and necessary mechanisms, including setting up of fast track courts at various levels.

Recommendations of the committee will be advisory in nature. The panel will also take into account coordination and monitoring of the status in the field. The setting up of and finalisation of recommendations of this committee will be in accordance with a clear time frame, the minister said. The rural development minister will head another panel called the Committee on State-Agrarian Relations and Unfinished Land Reforms that will be constituted in a month’s time.

The protesters who had walked into the Capital from different parts of the country yesterday demanding rights to land and livelihood were today prevented by the police from marching to Parliament. Describing the police act as violation of their right to freedom of expression, leaders of the protesters said the government had been informed of the agitation in advance.

“By curbing our right to hold demonstrations the government has let us down,” they said, claiming that the police had told them that they were under arrest. They said 25,000 protesters were facing an acute shortage of water and the situation was getting miserable by the hour.

The police, however, denied the use of any and arrests. “There is no detention or arrest. We have been asked to confine the demonstrators to the premises,” it said.

Protesters had started their journey from Gwalior on October 2 . After marching for nearly 340 km, they gathered in Ramlila Ground here yesterday. Leaders of the massive rally had planned to march to Parliament today to mark the end of the march

The protesters demonstrated in the ground the whole day, demanding a comprehensive land policy. After the announcement Ekta Parishad founder P.V Rajgopal expressed hope, saying that at least it had been decided in theory that the demands would be taken into consideration. “As per the assurance, in one month, the committee will be appointed and in three months the policy will be formulated,” he said.