Jaipal for 'consent mode' in land acquisition

Chennai, Dec 9 (UNI) Advocating the need for states to adopt a 'consent mode' for acquisition of lands for public purposes, Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy today said governments should not enter into real estate business.

In a brief interaction with newspersons here after delivering the valedictory address at the two-day summit on South India's Real Estate Sector organised by the CII, Mr Reddy said states should help in the acquisition of land for public purposes, including housing projects, by playing the role of a facilitator.

''I agree with you that it is not proper for the states to acquire lands indiscriminately through their acquisition powers.

Governments has no business to enter into this business, especially in the real estate sector,'' Mr Reddy said.

His remarks assumes significance in the backdrop of protests in West Bengal following acquisition of land by the government for the Tata Motors Project at Singur.

Asked about the protests over the land deal, Mr Reddy said he did not wish to comment on individual projects but said the state government should play the role of a facilitator.

''Consent acquisition is better and the land owners will be happy to sell if they don't feel they are being shortchanged,'' he said and added the farmers were longer sentimentally attached to the lands as was seen in past decades.

''The farmers are generally reasonable and accept (the transaction) if they are given a fair price,'' he added.

On the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA), Mr Reddy said the National Act was repealed long back and the state governments should no longer keep it in their statute book, he added.

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