Land Bill not anti-farmer: CII

Sanjeev Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 22

With the political slugfest continuing over the land Bill, industry body CII has backed it by calling it “pro-farmer and pro-growth”.

CII today said the amended land Bill introduced in Parliament will create millions of jobs, meet the aspirations of farmers and help spur growth in the economy.

The CII statement comes at a time when the Opposition has attacked the government for favouring industrialists through the land Bill.

CII said it is a vital piece of legislation that will seek to bridge the economic divide and propel inclusive growth in the country.

It pointed out that industry and farmers should not be viewed as opponents when it comes to the land Bill. “Development needs equitable participation by industry and the farm community. Job creation through inclusive growth is the foundation on which development and growth reside and it is this spirit that embodies the new land Bill”, CII president Sumit Mazumder said, expressing industry’s support for the pro-farmer pro-growth land Bill.

Providing rationale for the urgency of the Bill, CII said many projects were stuck due to problems in acquiring land.

“The land acquisition ordinance could not have come at a more opportune time when developmental infrastructure and industrial projects worth crores of rupees are delayed due to hurdles in land acquisition. This deprives millions of landless people of job opportunities and forces them to migrate to urban slums to look for livelihood,” Mazumder said.

India’s urban population is expected to reach 600 million by 2030 and requires adequate housing, jobs and manufacturing facilities. The land Bill is expected to benefit millions of rural migrants and help the country urbanise, it said.

The chamber’s view is that the Government’s move to maintain the compensation package at four times the market value in rural areas and two times in urban areas will go a long way in ensuring that the land owners and farmers are adequately compensated.

“The acquisition of land at above market rates and adequate provisions for resettlement and rehabilitation will provide new opportunities to farmers and the rural poor who are seeking new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities,” it said.

Since the land market is highly distorted and opaque with poor land records and fragmented land holdings, CII said it is often challenging for industry to directly acquire the entire land parcel required for a project.