Uttar Pradesh govt mulls major shift in land use policy

The fierce agitation against land acquisition in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the death of three farmers in the ensuing violence has not only forced the UP government to rethink the ambitious Yamuna Expressway project, but has also forced the authorities to rejig the entire scheme of things regarding land utilisation for purposes other than agriculture.

If reactions from top bureaucrats on the subject are any indication, the Mayawati regime has been chastened by the episode in Tappal, Aligarh, and adjoining areas where farmers have just withdrawn their fast-unto-death against forceful acquisition of their lands for the project. The agitation abated after the government announced that it was willing to drop the five hi-tech townships which would have gobbled up as much as 2,500 hectares of fertile land.

The UP government has also designed a new land acquisition policy accommodating farmers’ demands and promising them higher compensation.

The expected shift in land use policy promises to have long-term ramifications. However, no official is willing to speak on record on the “sensitive” subject, reportedly being handled by the chief minister.

Experts feel it is high time the government took a fresh view at break-neck industrialisation and paused to consider how it is affecting the environment and agricultural patterns.