Latest news with #RehabilitationandResettlementAct
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
BPCL-KR urged to consider Ayyankuzhi residents' demand for land acquisition
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited–Kochi Refinery (BPCL-KR) has been asked to proactively consider the demand of residents of Ayyankuzhi, located near the company's campus at Ambalamugal, to acquire their land on the grounds that it is unfit for habitation due to pollution. This was one of the major points discussed during the Chief Secretary-level meeting held here a couple of days ago to consider the residents' longstanding demand for the acquisition of their land. Over 30 families remain sandwiched on a 9.4-acre strip between two major public sector units — Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) and BPCL-KR — at Ayyankuzhi. The families were temporarily relocated to a lodge at Chottanikkara after around 200 metres of the KSEB's 220kV cables, laid in an underground trench inside the company's campus, caught fire on July 8, 2025, causing considerable discomfort to the residents. The families have since then refused to return to their homes unless a decision is taken on their demand for land acquisition. 'Over the past two years, several studies and reports have confirmed the residents' allegation that the area is unfit for habitation due to pollution. The Chief Secretary reminded BPCL-KR authorities that land had been acquired in places like Ahmedabad and Jharkhand following pollution by public sector units, and urged them to consider the residents' demand for acquisition. It was also decided that the State government would file a detailed report when the petition filed by Ayyankuzhi residents comes up before the Kerala High Court,' said P.V. Sreenijin, MLA, who attended the meeting. The BPCL-KR authorities, however, reiterated their reservations about acquiring additional land, arguing that it would not benefit their project in any way. The company has consistently maintained that it does not share a boundary with the residential area. It also cited the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, which mandates that acquired land must be used strictly for the intended purpose. Saji Kumar, convener of the Ayyankuzhi Janakeeya Samiti, said there was no question of the residents returning to their houses. 'Instead, the company may set a time frame of three to six months for the permanent acquisition of our land while providing us rent for that period. Even the latest report by the Pollution Control Board, prepared in the aftermath of the incident, has reaffirmed that our neighbourhood is unfit for habitation,' he added. However, it is being pointed out that the residents staying away from the affected neighbourhood may have an adverse impact and water down the urgency to find a solution.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Relief in sight from traffic congestion as PMC starts compulsory land acquisition for roads
Pune: Commuters may get some relief from the daily traffic toil as the PMC started the compulsory land acquisition for roads last week. "The land will be acquired even if there is a legal dispute. Most of the time, the disputes are about the amount or type of compensation. The compensation amount will be deposited in the court and will be given to the landowner based on the outcome of the court decision," said a senior official of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The PMC officials said compulsory land acquisition meant execution of the govt's legal power to acquire private land for public purposes, irrespective of owners' consent. This process is governed by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The civic administration has decided to speed up the land acquisition for 20 roads under this process. There would be a decline in traffic congestion on nearly 60km of road stretches once the land acquisition is complete and roads are built. Around 70% of the city's traffic passes through these key roads daily. "The civic administration is acquiring land to complete the missing links. When completed, these links will help in reducing the burden of traffic on bigger roads," said Aniruddha Pawaskar, the head of the PMC's road department. The PMC's plan states that a total of 42 proposals from the PMC regarding compulsory land acquisition are being discussed. Of these, 34 proposals are primarily related to the road department. The remaining eight proposals are related to other departments such as PMPML and state transport. Priority has been given to complete Katraj-Kondhwa Road, Satara-Mumbai Road and Pune-Hadapsar-Solapur Road. The civic administration has put the reservation of roads in the development plan. These spaces will be acquired using compulsory acquisition. The administration is also taking steps to expedite the land acquisition for the approach road of the proposed bridge to be constructed from Sun City towards Karvenagar Road. Mahatma Phule Wada and Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Memorial are also on priority list. A meeting regarding compulsory land acquisition was convened recently with the district administration and the police department. If needed, help from the police would be sought to acquire the land.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Punjab Land Pooling Policy: ‘Pass resolutions that you will not part with your land', Sukhbir Badal tells panchayats
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal Tuesday asked village panchayats to pass resolutions that they would not give their land to the AAP government under its land pooling policy. Terming it a 'land-grabbing scheme', Badal said his party would not allow even one inch of land to be acquired in the state come what may. Addressing a 'dharna' outside the deputy commissioner's office in Ludhiana, Badal demanded the immediate revocation of AAP government's plan to acquire 40,000 acres of land under its land pooling policy. He said SAD would intensify the agitation against the 'land grab' by holding weekly 'dharnas', with protests being held on July 28 in Mohali and on August 4 in Bathinda. Badal also accused AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of being behind this 'loot in league with builders of Delhi who had been promised large land parcels as per their wishes'. 'I warn the chief secretary, who has been made chairman of all development authorities, as well as their members that they would be held accountable for illegalities being committed in land acquisition processes in the state,' he added. Badal claimed that the AAP government proposed to acquire 40,000 acres of land, including 24,000 in Ludhiana itself, under the archaic State Land Acquisition Act, 1995 instead of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. He said the 1995 law allowed for excluding land parcels from acquisition and lease as well as allowing auction or allotment of land as per the wishes of the ruling dispensation. 'This will open the doors for corruption and allow select parcels to be excluded from auction at the whims and fancies of the government. In direct contrast, the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 calls for giving compensation at four times the collector rate besides a resettlement scheme,' he said, claiming that under the land-pooling policy, the small farmers will be the biggest losers. 'Those possessing 50 acres of land would be eligible to get back 60 per cent of the same, whereas those possessing nine acres would only get 33 per cent back. Farmers would additionally not be allowed to sell the land, take loan on it or undertake change of land use (CLU) once the notification for acquisition is done', he said. Senior party leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had tried to justify the policy. He said if the policy had been made keeping in mind the welfare of farmers then the chief minister should tell why he has been replaced as chairman of development authorities and gave this post to the chief secretary. On the issue of sacrilege incidents in 2015, when the SAD-BJP government was in power, Badal said such incidents started in Punjab only after the advent of AAP in the state in 2014. He said the issue of sacrilege was used to defame the SAD by both the AAP and the Congress to stop the Akali juggernaut, which would have otherwise swept the state for the third successive term in 2017. He said these elements did not allow a state probe into the cases of sacrilege and demanded they be handed over to the CBI. 'We transferred the cases to the CBI from where they were taken back by the Congress. Since then only politics has been done on this sensitive issue by both the AAP and Congress even as the culprits roam free,' Badal said. In stark contrast, he said, the SAD had got to the bottom of both Moga and Malerkotla sacrilege cases and ensured conviction. Badal also accused Kejriwal of supporting AAP MLA legislator Naresh Yadav, who was accused of committing the Malerkotla sacrilege. 'The AAP government forced the complainant to take back his complaint. Later despite being convicted, Kejriwal re-nominated Yadav for the party ticket from Mehrauli (in Delhi). All this only goes on to prove that AAP leaders had a hand in sacrilege incidents. We will get to the bottom of this once the SAD forms the government and punish the perpetrators', he said.
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Badal slams Punjab govt over land-pooling policy
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Ludhiana, Jul 22 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday slammed the AAP government over its land-pooling policy and asked village panchayats to pass resolutions against any acquisition of land. Calling the land-pooling policy a 'land-grabbing scheme", Badal said his party would not allow one inch of land to be acquired in the state come what may. Addressing a 'dharna' outside the deputy commissioner's office here against the land-pooling policy, the SAD president demanded the immediate revocation of the entire 40,000 acres of land acquisition plan. He said SAD would intensify the agitation against the 'land grab" by holding weekly 'dharnas', with protests being held on July 28 in Mohali and on August 4 in Bathinda. Badal accused AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of being behind this 'loot in league with builders of Delhi who had been promised large land parcels as per their wishes". He warned the chief secretary, who has been made chairman of all development authorities, as well as their members that they would be held accountable for illegalities being committed in land acquisition processes in the state. Badal claimed that the AAP government proposed to acquire 40,000 acres of land, including 24,000 in Ludhiana itself, under the archaic State Land Acquisition Act, 1995 instead of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. He said the 1995 law allowed for excluding land parcels from acquisition and lease as well as allowing auction or allotment of land as per the wishes of the ruling dispensation. 'This will open the doors for corruption and allow select parcels to be excluded from auction at the whims and fancies of the government. In direct contrast, the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 calls for giving compensation at four times the collector rate besides a resettlement scheme". He claimed that under the land-pooling policy, the small farmers will be the biggest losers. 'Those possessing 50 acres of land would be eligible to get back 60 per cent of the same, whereas those possessing nine acres would only get 33 per cent back. Farmers would additionally not be allowed to sell the land, take loan on it or undertake change of land use (CLU) once the notification for acquisition is done", he said. Senior leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had tried to justify the policy. He said if the policy had been made keeping in mind the welfare of farmers then the chief minister should tell why he has been replaced as chairman of development authorities and gave this post to the chief secretary. The AAP government has been facing flak from the opposition parties over the land-pooling policy. Even farmer bodies, including the Samukta Kisan Morcha, have also opposed the scheme. The Punjab Cabinet last month gave its nod to the land-pooling policy and had then asserted that not even a single yard will be forcibly acquired from land owners. PTI COR CHS MNK MNK view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 19:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Lakhsadweep govt plans to takeover Bitra island for defence needs, meets local resistance
The government of Lakhsadweep is set to take over Bitra island, an atoll in the Union Terrirtory , to make use of it for defence purposes. However, the move has been met with resistance with local MP Hamdullah Sayeed vowing to raise the issue in Parliament. A government notification, issued on July 11, outlined the proposal for Lakshadweep's Department of Revenue to take over the entire land area of Bitra island and transfer it to relevant Central defense and strategic agencies, as per news agency PTI reported With 271 residents, as per the Census 2011, Bitra is the least populated among the 10 inhabited islands in the Lakshadweep UT. With this move, Bitra would become the third island in the archipelago with a defence establishment – two Indian naval bases in the archipelago are INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti, the capital of the UT, and INS Jatayu in Minicoy, the southernmost island. The notification by the UT administration stated that the initiative is driven by the strategic location of the island, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges posed by the civilian habitation, as per news agency PTI. The administration said the steps will be taken in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 which necessitates a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for the affected area. As per the order, District Collector Shivam Chandra said all stakeholders, including grama sabhas, would be consulted as part of the SIA, and the survey would be completed in two months. Slamming the move, Lakshadweep MP Sayeed alleged the real objective behind the move was to displace the indigenous population. He pointed out that land in several islands have already been acquired for defense purposes. The Congress leader also said targeting the island, which has housed a permanent population for decades, without considering any of these alternatives, is completely unacceptable. Further, he criticised the administration for initiating the process, especially at a time when there are no functioning panchayats, saying that it undermines the democratic system and violates the constitutional rights guaranteed to citizens. Sayeed vowed that he would explore all political and legal avenues to resist the move.
