Land, law
Sir: The BJP government at the Center has come up with amendments to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, Resettlement Act 2013, and promulgated and rep-promulgated an ordinance. Most of the Opposition parties including some BJP allies are opposing the ordinance, terming it a pro-industry and anti-farmer move by the Narendra Modi government. The Congress has got a ‘Sanjivani’ to revive the party, after its virtual rout in the elections.
As we understand, the government has exempted five sectors where prior consent of farmers and Social Impact Assessment are no more required to acquire any land. These sectors are national security, defense, rural infrastructure, electrification, industrial corridors and housing for the poor! The government has not touched the compensation amount, which is two times the existing rate in urban area and four times in rural areas!
The UPA government had enacted the bill when the General Election was approaching and the Congress party was hoping to woo farmers over the act and win the polls. But this did not help. Rural India can’t be left to the mercy of ‘God’. People are entitled to the same benefits as the people of urban India. The government needs land for development and every time it is not possible to get mandatory consent or do social impact assessment.
Under the circumstances, the poor might be benefited from this law.
Bikash Kumar Jain, Bangomunda, BOLANGIR
Ponzi, banks
Sir: Chit fund companies operating their branches in various places had promised to pay a high rate of interest on deposits. Some of them also promised doubling of the invested amount after a fixed period. In the end, the money collected from gullible investors was pocketed by these unscrupulous racketeers. Despite promises from the government to deliver justice to the investors, people are losing their hope of getting the lost money back. Investigations are dragging and reaching nowhere. Banks are indirectly responsible for such a misfortune. Had they raised the interest rates, people would not have gone after chit fund companies. At present, the rate of interest on long-term deposits is 8.75 per cent in nationalized banks. It is advisable that banks raised the interest rates.
Manoranjan Behera, Barsahi, MAYURBHANJ
Congress, Rahul
Sir: The Congress is not only a weakling but a house divided in states. The issue of Rahul Gandhi’s promotion to the top post in the party has not been resolved. He might eventually become the party president, detractors within the party are biding their time.
Sonia Gandhi commands respect and awe, but young Rahul is yet to earn it. Two or three interventions in parliament debates, by themselves, do not give him the much-needed credibility. He has to earn it by hard work.
K Ravi, GGP Colony, BHUBANESWAR