The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Call to control land use

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 15, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Call to control land use

Special Correspondent

Prabhat Patnaik for social regulation to prevent speculation

Prabhat Patnaik

HYDERABAD: As the land struggles in different parts of the country intensify, noted economist and Kerala Planning Board vice-chairman Prabhat Patnaik has underlined the need for a social regulation of land use, in that diversion of agriculture land to non-agricultural uses should be strictly controlled.

A State-owned corporation or land bank could be created and it should be entrusted the task of utilising land for genuine and worthwhile purposes.

The corporation could be allowed to float special purpose vehicles with companies retaining at least 26 per cent equity to ensure that land did not become a market-driven commodity, he said adding this should be followed by strict implementation of the Urban Land Ceiling Act.

“These measures will act as surrogate to nationalisation of land and they will help cut down speculation and hoarding of land,” he said. Prof. Patnaik, who is a professor in the department of Economics and Planning of Jawaharlal Nehru University, was participating in a seminar on ‘Land Issue in the Emerging Scenario’ organised by the All-India Lawyers’ Union here on Sunday.

Food security

Expressing concern over the conversion of agricultural lands for industrial use, he said the move was adversely affecting the food security of the country.

In this context, he cited a legislation being enacted in Kerala wherein conversion of paddy cultivation land to other uses would be made a criminal offence.

He did not agree with the general notion that dispossession of land was imperative for development claiming that acquisition of land for industry was leading to speculation that was, in turn, throttling development. While the Centre was expected to control acquisition of land, it was insisting that the States scrap Urban Land Ceiling Act and bring down stamp duty that would lead to speculation.

Former member of Planning Commission Ch. Hanumantha Rao presided over the seminar that was attended by several academics and former bureaucrats who specialised in land-related issues.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail