Modi’s Bullet Train Battles Legal Hurdles Over Farmers’ Protests

It was in September last year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone in Gujarat for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor – the bullet train project.

However, contrary to the expectations, the project is not off to a flying start.

The work on the ground for this Rs 1.08 lakh crore project began in December 2017, but since then much of the development has been hampered by protests against land acquisitions done mostly by farmers and tribal communities in both Maharashtra and Gujarat. In May 2018, around 50,000 farmers from nearly 60 villages protested against the high-speed rail, according to The Hindu. Read more

Courtesy: The Quint

State Repression Forces Adivasis Out of Their Land in Odisha

The PESA law in India makes it mandatory for village councils to be consulted before any land and resource acquisition by higher-level authorities, but it is being blatantly violated in this Adivasi-dominated district of Odisha.

In the age of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, bullet trains, dams, amusement parks and shopping malls seem to have become markers of development. Both government and private entities are making a push for such development. But for Parmananda Munda, who is fighting for the land his community has lived on for 50 years, the government must be respectful of the law, if it truly wants sabka vikas or development for all.

By the law, Munda is referring to the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996 (PESA), which strengthens local self-governance and empowers panchayats to make decisions about land ownership and acquisition, natural resource management, minor forest produce and peace and dispute settlement. Read more

Courtesy: Feminism in India

झारखंडः पावर प्लांट अडानी का, ज़मीन से बेदखल हुए आदिवासी, ठेका चीन की कंपनी को, और बिजली दी जाएगी बंग्लादेश को

भारत के एक राज्य में एक निजी कम्पनी पावर प्लांट लगा रही है जिस क्षेत्र में वह पावर प्लांट लग रहा है वह क्षेत्र भारत मे सबसे कम बिजली उपलब्धता वाला क्षेत्र है लेकिन उस पावर प्लांट से निकलने वाली सारी बिजली में उस क्षेत्र का हिस्सा छोड़िए राज्य का भी कोई हिस्सा नही है। वह बिजली विदेश भेजी जा रही है जिस कम्पनी को उस पावर प्लांट बनाने का ठेका दिया गया है वह पूर्ण रूप से विदेशी ( चीनी ) कम्पनी है, जो कोयला उस पावर प्लांट में इस्तेमाल किया जाने वाला है वो भी भारत का नही है वह भी ऑस्ट्रेलिया से मंगाए जाने की योजना है, जबकि जिस जिले में वह पॉवर प्लांट लग रहा है वहाँ आधुनिक भारत की सबसे पुरानी कोयला खदान मौजूद हैं ओर वह राज्य देश का सबसे ज्यादा कोयला उत्पादन करने वाला राज्य है।

लेकिन कुछ लोगो के लिए यह बहुत खुशी की बात है कि इस प्लांट लगाने के नाम वहां बसे आदिवासियो को भगाया जा रहा है स्थानीय नदी से भारी मात्रा में पानी लिया जा रहा कोयला ढुलाई के नाम पर रेलवे लाइन बिछाने के लिए किसानों की जमीनों को छीना जा रहा है। अब आप शायद समझ गए होंगे कि यहाँ झारखंड के गोड्डा जिले में लगाए जा रहे अडानी के पावर प्लांट की बात हो रही है जिसकी बिजली बांग्लादेश को बेची जा रही है 1,600 मेगावाट के इस पावर प्लांट के निर्माण का ठेका अडानी ने चीन की कंपनी सेप्को-थ्री को दिया है। Read more

Courtesy: National Speak

Andhra 1st Oppn state to okay Centre’s Land Acquisition Bill

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to 11 more bills passed by 10 State Assemblies recently, including Andhra Land Acquisition Bill which is in line with the Central Government’s pending Land Acquisition Bill. Andhra is first among the Opposition party-ruled States which adopted the Land Acquisition Bill of the Central Government. The Central legislation is still in Parliament as a Joint Parliamentary Committee could not arrive at consensus till date. The BJP-ruled Governments already passed similar legislations in the past and got the assent of the President.

The other Important bills which got the Presidential assent are Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill and Apartment Ownership Amendment Bill of the Maharashtra Government, Amendment to Gujarat Land Ceiling Act of the State. The President has also given assent to Land Acquisition Bill of Jharkhand which earlier the Central Government returned with some amendments. The bills of Bihar, Assam and Chhattisgarh also got assent from the President. Read more

Courtesy: Millennium Post

AP to drive a hard bargain on Polavaram

The Central government released Rs 6,727.26 crore to the state government for the project till date. The Centre is yet to release the remainder.

The state government is also expected to bring to the notice of Gadkari that it is the responsibility of the Centre to pick up the entire bill for rehabilitation and resettlement cost of the oustees of the project, in accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Read more

Courtesy: The Hans India

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