The Narendra Modi government’s amended Land Acquisition Act, which it has introduced through the ordinance route, bypassing a discussion in parliament, will bring a smile to the BJP-led Goa government, in the cusp of kick starting major land acquisition for marquee infrastructure projects, including the access road for the Mopa project.
Moreover, the amended “development friendly” land acquisition act which does not need any consent of locals for PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defense, is likely to cover virtually all kinds of projects by simply classifying them as infrastructure projects or those that come under PPP. Since a PPP project is essentially an agreement between the private sector and the government, many in Goa apprehend that the scope of using the non- consent clause in an environment which is tilted towards the government –private sector relationship, is vast.
The Government and Goa Inc have reasons to welcome this because the amendment may help tide over a lot of local opposition to projects which are at the land acquisition stage. The exclusion of the need to do a Social Impact Assessment for a select category of projects which include PPP projects will be a bonus for industry which feels that time consuming blockages happen due to these processes.
However the dangers of undertaking such a path need to be underscored. It is a given that projects of national interest need to be pushed through. However with the experience of the manner in which the government bypasses environmental norms which include a wide gamut of CRZ , Pollution Control and Environmental Clearance regulations, it is natural to be sceptical and suspicious of the government’s real intentions in the name of “development”. The universe of projects that can bypass the “consent” clause and the Social Impact Assessment need, can be stretched when it comes to PPP, Rural Infrastructure and Affordable Housing projects. We have seen in our own backyard how the Tiracol bridge is being passed off as a critical infrastructure project (and surely a rural project since there are farm and forest lands in Tiracol) when the real purpose is to evidently augment the private Golf Course and Villa Project which has virtually taken over the entire village.
The suspicion over the amended Land Acquisition Act is bound to enhance because we also live in an environment where institutions set up to monitor and protect our natural environment like the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, the TCP, the Pollution Control Board are rapidly ceding all autonomy and control to the political executive, which in turn is leaning heavily towards industry for perhaps genuine reasons of bringing in investment but also coupled with personal benefits as projects prosper, like shoring up of land prices around project areas.
While the compensation amount hasn’t been touched, for those who lose their land, the amendment makes the government all powerful to take much more of private land under its control including multi-crop farming land.
This is indeed a crucial amendment which will actually make land owners and farmers virtually defenseless if the government wants to push a project through. At the same time, if the Act is implemented honestly, it will allow the government to push through much needed projects. Therefore it all boils down to intent and will to develop but not deprive. Sadly history doesn’t give much cause for optimism in this regard.
