Land acquisition in India and balancing interests in West Bengal

Abstract

While Land is a gift of nature, it is limited, it cannot be produced, and it cannot be destroyed either. The value of land as a production element cannot be overstated. Everything we use may be ultimately linked back to land. The source of all tangible riches can be said to be land. For economic prosperity, it could be said that the land is an indispensable part of it. In a country like India, more than 70% of the population comprises rural areas dependent on the primary sector activities - agriculture. They rely heavily on the land for their life and livelihood. For any economic development, be it flyovers, living complexes, or malls, it is this land that the government is acquiring. And as a consequence, the current occupants are deprived of their land and displaced. But in the name of the development, is it fair what actually happens to the landowners, especially a farmer whose whole family and life are dependent on that piece of land he owns? What is the wrong or the right way to acquire such lands, and when or what is it where all the stakeholders get what they want? This paper attempts to throw some light on the history of land acquisition acts in India while highlighting a few famous land acquisition cases, their policy implications, and finally, the takeaways for the future.