SC lauds Guj govt’s land policy

New Delhi: Frowning at increasing incidents of government forcibly acquiring land for industrialisation and residential schemes, Supreme Court on Thursday observed that the Land Acquisition Act must be scrapped as it is a “fraud” devised by some “sick people”. SC also complimented the Narendra Modi government for its land acquisition policy since there are “no complaints of any forcible acquisition” whereas issues of farmers and poor being uprooted are pouring in from all other states.
A bench of justices G S Singhvi and H L Dattu observed: “The Act has become a fraud. It seems to have been devised by people with a sick mind who have scant regard for the welfare of the common man.”
SC made the observations while dealing with petitions by farmers from UP’s Hapur district. “We are coming across several cases of land being acquired in the name of emergency and public purpose.”
“But there is one state from where we do not receive any such complaints. Look at Ahmedabad which is developing but there are no complaints from that place. They have the same officers of the same cadre as in the rest of the country. “Mr Haren Rawal (ASG) comes from that state and he would vouchsafe for it,” the bench remarked, adding that “the officers from other states perhaps should get training in Gujarat.” PTI