Dasgupta admits rehab package worked out for Singur farmers

Kolkata, Jan 13 (UNI) Admitting that farmers always face problems when their land is acquired, be it Singur or Nandigram, state Finance Minister Dr Asim DasGupta said here today that a well-thought rehabilitation package has been worked out for the displaced farmers in Singur where Tata Motors plans to set up its small car project.

Speaking at an interactive session on "India in the Emerging global order Opportunities and Pitfalls," organised by FICCI, Mr DasGupta said that ''when land acquisitions take place, at the macro level, a state is not a looser but the problem is faced by the displaced farmers at the micro level.'' Elaborating the rehab package, he said, ''We have not only paid 30 per cent higher than the market price to the farmers for the acquired land, but a comprehensive rehabilitation package has been offered, which include equal piece of developed land and employment to a family member of the displaced farmer.'' With the resentment from the people and the opposition over the land acquisition in Singur and Nandigram, the state government has stalled the acquisition process.

''We will take the farmers into confidence before resuming acquisition process,'' he said.

Speaking about the BJP's stand on this issue, national spokesperson of the party Prakash Javadekar said,''We are not against industrialisation. Industry will not be in the air but land is required. Multi-crop land should not wasted. Moreover the farmers should be compensated.'' Citing the Maharashtra model, he said a farmer should be made stakeholder in the whole process. The farmers should get the price of the land which must be 300 per cent above the market price. The farmers should also get well developed land.'' Praising the model presented by Dr DasGupta, Congress Nation spokesperson Abhisek Manu Singhvi said, the Centre and all the state governments should come to a consensus on a single model of rehabilitation for the farmers.

''Several SEZs will be developed across the country and the Centre is also trying to take non-agricultural lands,'' he said.

Speaking on the nature of the land acquired for the Tata Motor's small car project in Singur and IOC sponsored chemical hub in Haldia, Mr DasGupta said,'' While acquiring land in Singur, we have tried to avoid fertile agri land.'' UNI JYN KK AKP1457