Nagpur: Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal on Tuesday said he has drafted a policy to compensate lakhs of project-affected people whose land was acquired decades ago under the old land acquisition law at rates as low as Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 per hectare. He also said the govt is working on a separate policy to reduce farmer resistance to future land acquisitions.“Today, as rehabilitation minister, I am working on a policy for all those old project-affected people whose land was acquired under the old land acquisition Act at very low rates. In some cases, compensation was as low as Rs 4,000 because compensation reforms came much later. I have prepared a draft on how justice can be given to lakhs of such project-affected people,” Jaiswal said.He said he has discussed the proposal with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and plans to place it before the state cabinet.Jaiswal, MLA from Ramtek constituency, where farmers are protesting land acquisition for Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), said the govt is also reviewing its approach to future acquisitions to address farmers’ concerns across Maharashtra.“It is not just about one project in Ramtek but all projects. When a farmer loses land, there is insecurity about how long the compensation will last and what will happen to future generations. The govt is considering a new policy to address these concerns so that farmers do not oppose land acquisition,” he said.Responding to concerns over the Ramtek project, Jaiswal said site selection depends on factors such as water and power availability, manpower and road connectivity, and that MIDC surveys all locations before selecting a suitable site.Referring to Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar’s recent statement opposing the acquisition of fertile land, Jaiswal accused Congress of adopting double standards.“They should first introspect on how and at what rates they acquired land for MIDCs when they were in power in Maharashtra,” he said.He added that while the earlier policy provided compensation at four times the market value, the present govt pays five times the market rate.Jaiswal said genuine concerns of affected farmers deserve discussion, but cautioned against political interference by people with no direct stake in the land acquisition process.“Just as many people who were not students joined the NEET protests for political mileage, similar elements may try to exploit such protests too,” he said.
