Team Herald
PANJIM: Stating that the then UPA government that introduced the Land Acquisition Act 2013 has seriously affected the State’s development projects, including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has supported Narendra Modi government’s amendment to the controversial Act.
Parsekar is one amongst the few Chief Ministers who proposed that States be allowed to enact their own land acquisition legislation, if the Centre fails to pass the amendment Bill. The Centre seems to be in agreement with this proposal.
Speaking to Herald from New Delhi after the Niti Aayog meeting called by the Prime Minister, Parsekar said, “The amendments to the bill have been passed in the Lok Sabha. In the Raj Sabha it is not been passed. We don’t have majority in Raj Sabha. Hence, I along with other chief ministers proposed that if the Centre fails to approve this (bill) with consensus, it should be left to the States. Those States which want to develop fast can suggest their own legislation and the Centre (would) approve it.”
Parsekar said that the Land Acquisition Act 2013 made the land acquisition for developmental projects difficult. “I am not speaking about major projects but even small projects like road widening or new road connectivity, laying of electrical lines or new transformers,” he said.
Even the proposed Chorao and Tuem-Camurlim bridges have been affected due to this Act, he said. “The issue surrounding land for IIT is also due to the land acquisition act,” the Chief Minister added.
The bill has been stuck because of a lack of wider political support, with Opposition parties attacking it as anti-farmer. In Goa, too, political opponents are objecting to the amendments to the Bill, which have taken over the rights of farmers of giving consent for taking over their land.
The State government had proposed to start IIT Goa temporarily from the Goa Engineering College campus at Farmagudi; however the Union Ministry for Human Resource and Development (HRD) refused to grant it permission to run the classes for the ongoing academic year owing to non-availability of permanent site.
