by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance, Employment, Government Jobs, News, Politics
Panaji : Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that lengthy land acquisition procedures were delaying major infrastructure projects in Goa and has advised the state government to hire retired officials to hasten the process.
“I suggested them to take some retired people. The National Highways Authority of India will pay them. We should have more people. Maximum of the problems are related to land acquisition. That is the reason we are taking more people to strengthen the land acquisition department,” Gadkari told reporters on the sidelines of a government event here.
The Minister also said that the delays in the execution of major projects were due to inflating costs.
“Work is going on everywhere from Maharashtra border to the Karnataka border. So we need the process of land acquisition to become faster, otherwise, we cannot… It is very important as far as the cost factor is concerned,” he said.
At a review meeting with state Public Works Department on Monday, Gadkari had expressed unhappiness at the slow pace of the redevelopment of the Goa section of the Mumbai-Goa Highway.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance, News, Politics
Ahmed Patel
Gandhinagar : Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat Ahmed Patel on Wednesday led a delegation of state party leaders and farmers to Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli to submit a memorandum on various issues related to acquisition of land for the Bullet Train project and those concerning farmers and Panchayati Raj institutions.
“We are not opposing development, the Congress has never opposed development. Our track record of the last 25-30 years shows that we ensured balanced development of both agriculture and industries. It has never been one at the cost of the other. But the NDA government is bent upon industries’ development at the cost of farmers,” Patel told the media.
He alleged that after failing to bring in an ordinance to amend the land acquisition laws and an all-round outcry against the move, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government stuck to the law brought by the UPA regime on land acquisition.
However, they they made amendments to the parts of law coming under the purview of states and did away with the clauses related to public hearing, social impact, etc., he said.
“We oppose such amendments. Public hearings are announced hours before the hearing, making it impossible for the farmers to attend. We demand that for the Bullet Train project, either the land available with the railways should be used or the land meant for the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC).”
Patel said that the Congress would also support the farmers’ movement to be organised in Palghar, Maharashtra, on June 3 to protest against the acquisition of land for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project.
Political parties from Maharashtra have been opposing a recent land survey by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd, which has been entrusted the task to implement the Bullet Train project proposed between Ahmedabad and Mumbai with Japanese collaboration.
The Bullet train is envisaged to travel through Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra. This has been opposed by the All India Kisan Sabha, which has launched an agitation against the project.
In the memorandum to the Governor, the Congress also alleged that the ruling BJP government in the state was not adhering to court verdicts on maintaining autonomy of the Panchayati Raj institutions.
“People had no power in either Taluka (Block) panchayats or district panchayats, as those are being run through executive orders of Taluka Development Officers (TDO) and District Development Officers (DDO), who act in line with the wishes of their political bosses,” the memorandum says.
The allegations come on a day when the Gujarat High Court ruled that the members of the panchayat would not be able to bring about a “no-confidence” motion against the Sarpanch in the first year and for six months against Taluka panchayat presidents, as it would be against the spirit of the Constitution.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
Foxconn
Chicago : Tech giant Foxconn is facing some legal obstacles concerning its planned display screen plant in the midwest US state of Wisconsin, as some villagers opposed to what they called “unconstitutional eminent domain.”
A dozen families who would lose their homes to the Foxconn project have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this week against the Village of Mount Pleasant and its president, reported Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The lawsuit claims Mount Pleasant’s exercise of eminent domain to take their homes is unconstitutional because it is for a private benefit instead of public use, and the plantiffs would be paid far less than similar cases, Xinhua reported.
Wisconsin state government and Foxconn signed a contract for the display screen plant worth $10 billion in November. Foxconn is expected to hire up to 13,000 local workers and Wisconsin has promised to update infrastructure and offered a basket of incentives.
As part of its development agreement with Foxconn, Mount Pleasant village agreed to acquire about 2,900 acres, some directly for Foxconn and some for possible future expansion. Some also were for planned road and utility expansions, traditional public goals of the power of eminent domain.
Following the controversy over parts of the land being forcibly taken from their owners, Foxconn has agreed to give more time to solve the issue, the Milwaukee newspaper reported.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Ranchi : The Central government has returned the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Jharkhand Amendment Bill), 2017 which was moved with some amendments from here.
Talking to reporters, Jharkhand Leader of Opposition in assembly and Working President of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Hemant Soren on Friday said here the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had raised its objection over the amendments proposed by the state government in the Act.
“The Union Ministry has issued a letter stating that it would upscale the diversion of agricultural land for non agricultural purposes purposes”, Soren said.
He said that the ministry has also mentioned that the proposed amendment was against the National Policy for Farmers, 2007 and National Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy, 2007.
Soren said the JMM had called on President Ram Nath Kovind in November this year in this regard.
“We had already mentioned in our memorandum and handed over to the President that sections of Chapter 3 in which the state government wished to bring amendment would enhance acquisition of multi crop plants across the state.
“Interestingly, the agriculture ministry has also made similar comment. Now Chief Minister Raghubar Das should make it clear under what pressure, he was favouring this amendment,” he said.
Demanding dismissal of the Chief Minister, Soren said Das was allegedly involved in land scam.
He said the scams would be unearthed if probed by an independent agency.
—IANS
