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Unlike Bengal, other states seem to be less lucky to deal with similar agitations by militant groups and NGOs against development programmes, including infrastructure, industrial and core sector projects, which the country needs desperately to stabilise and grow its economy. In fact, richer states such as BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Gujarat and AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu are faced with more violent demonstrations from militant groups and locals as the government prepares to strengthen and expand the country’ s industry and infrastructure systems. A report, for Different Truths.
Not many people in Bengal may have ever heard the name of an outfit called CPI-ML Red Star, not until it attacked a Power Grid Corporation’s (PGCIL) sub-station project, being built in co-operation with the West Bengal government, at fast developing Rajarhat in Kolkata’s outskirt. The central transmission utility had sought cooperation from all stakeholders for completion of the Rs. 800-crore Rajarhat sub-station project. “Considering advantages of the Rajarhat 400/220kV sub-station project, Power Grid Corp solicits cooperation from all stakeholders,” PGCIL had said in a statement while maintaining that land for the project was acquired at “market rates to adequately compensate locals”. It had also said that “GIS technology is safe, reliable and requires less maintenance…”
However, other states seem to be less lucky to deal with similar agitations by militant groups and NGOs against development programmes, including infrastructure, industrial and core sector projects, which the country needs desperately to stabilise and grow its economy. In fact, richer states such as BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Gujarat and AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu are faced with more violent demonstrations from militant groups and locals as the government prepares to strengthen and expand the country’ s industry and infrastructure systems. Deadly disputes are brewing in several other parts of the country over land and environment as the world’s second most populous country gears up for the next level of development.
However, this is not to suggest that those affected by development projects should not protest against actions that threaten their life and livelihood and damage environment. The constitution protects their right to life and land. Behind much of the current so-called anti-development agitation is the lackadaisical attitude on the part of the authorities to the established laws to protect the rights of citizens. The land acquisition law of 2013 is meant to protect the rights of farmers, villagers, land losers. The law calls for consensus over land acquisitions, rehabilitation of those displaced and adequate compensation. It also requires environment and social impact assessments.
Unfortunately, both the central and state governments have been diluting the provisions at will to speed up acquisitions for developments. Their actions are more political than societal. Their stated objectives ignore immediate local concerns. In practice, they seem to go by investors’ choice and focus on quick clearance. Ideally, the government or the political leadership should take the local people into confidence before starting any critical project that would lead to displacement of denizens and impact their livelihood and environment. More recently, at the doorstep of the national capital, a standoff between residents and the Noida administration over a waste-to-energy plant in Sector 123 turned violent when protesters threw stones at policemen and the cops responded with lath charge and water cannons. The protesters say the Noida waste plant will put over five lakh lives at risk. According to unofficial reports, Gujarat and Maharashtra alone account for over a tenth of the country’s 600 on-going land disputes involving the government, industry and local land losers.
Nantoo Banerjee
©IPA Service
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