CM bats for adoption of Punjab land acquisition policy as a role model for National policy

CHANDIGARH : Strongly pleading that land should not be acquired by government without the consent of the farmers and the land owners, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Government of India (GoI) to adopt Punjab Land acquisition policy as a role model for national policy on the proposed Land Acquisition Bill-2015.
Expressing these views during a high level meeting of the Chief Ministers convened by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence 7 Race Course Road here today, the Chief Minister thanked Modi for calling this meeting on a very crucial subject as agriculture was today facing a serious crisis in the country. Moreover, he said that, agriculture was a losing profession resulting in heavy debt and farm suicides. In the light of this grim scenario the Land Acquisition Bill 2015 has caused great concern in the minds of farmers and farm labourers, he added.The Chief Minister however said that the general perception in the minds of the farmers was that this bill was anti-farmers.Badal said that he was of firm view that land acquisition, whether for state or central projects should be left to the state governments and this land should be acquired only with the consent of owners, solely for the public purposes.
Outlining the salient features of the time tested Punjab land acquisition policy, the Chief Minister apprised Modi that Punjab had a land acquisition policy which has been so far totally smooth, peaceful and hassle free. He said that under this policy land was acquired with the consent of the owners and the farmers were paid market price plus displacement allowance. Mr. Badal said that in order to pay market price district price fixation committees have been set up which included local MP, MLA, Sarpanch and the head of Municipal Committee.