Civil rights body welcomes notification of new land act

The National Alliance for People's Movements (NAPM) Wednesday hailed the coming into effect of the new land acquisition act terming it as a "part victory" of hundreds of dalits, tribals and farmers.

The new act, enacted by parliament last year, which aims to provide fair compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement to farmers whose land is acquired, came into force from Wednesday.

The earlier act had led to the uprootment of many communities and destroyed their socio-cultural environs, including agriculture and livelihoods, a release by NAPM - an alliance of progressive people's organizations and movements which has led protests on issues against globalization, nuclear plants and for electoral reforms.

This act is now replaced with a new act, a part victory of decades-long struggle of adivasis, dalits, farmers, fish workers as well as urban poor, it added.

The new land act brings in some space for Gram Sabhas' (village committee) consent, consent of 80 percent land holders for private projects, upto 2.5 acres land per family to the tribals in rehabilitation and upholds minimization of land acquisition and diversion of multiple crop agricultural land.

"While welcoming the change, therefore, we must take oath to broaden and strengthen our struggles for right to natural resources and sustainable just development planning with those," the NAPM release said.