HEMA BANNERJEE
The question that needs to be asked today is do we need a change ? If yes, what sort of change? ‘Acche Din’ will remain a dream unless we gear up for change. In the 21st. Century , when we are planning towards becoming one of the most prosperous countries in the world , the need of the hour is rapid economic growth ,urbanization, infrastructure ,education ,housing and of course adequate sanitation facilities for all.
Over the last few weeks, there has been a dead lock in the proceedings of the parliament with all the opposition parties and some of the allies of the NDA government against the changes in Land Acquisition Bill terming it as anti farmer. Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar and chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal supporting Hazare in the protest against the Land Bill have forgotten the fact that the condition of the farmers which is very deplorable needs to be changed.The land holdings in India are so fragmented that they are not able to earn a decent living either for themselves as well as for the family.This bill is about taking the land from the farmers, paying them adequate compensation and using those lands for building up of Industries so that the poor atleast get a job and do not live in abject poverty.
We cannot deny the truth that Indian cities when compared to the cities in some of the developed countries of the world has very bad roads, railways ,inadequate housing facilities for people. Even in villages, the picture is not very different with lack of clean drinking water, roads in bad shape and lack of proper sanitation facilities. This bill is going to make a difference.
Crores and crores of rupees have been spent by various govts from time to time for improvements in the agricultural sector but with less success. With the Economic survey indicating the GDP growth rate in agriculture at 1.1% in the financial year 2015 and with the condition of agricultural sector as it is today, the only alternative is industrial sector. The farmers who are living in extreme poverty are going to be benefitted.
(Mrs. HEMA BANNERJEE IS ASSOCITE PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS , JNRM,PORTBLAIR.)
