Supreme Court in favour of scrapping Land Acquisition Act

Expressing concern on increasing incidents of government forcibly acquiring land for industrialisation and residential schemes, the Supreme Court has recently states that the existing Land Acquisition Act is a ‘fraud’ and should to be scrapped.
A Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly said that in the name of globalisation and land development the States had marginalised farmers by paying a pittance as compensation. It was hearing a batch of appeals against an Allahabad High Court order, which cancelled the notifications for land acquisition in Greater Noida. Justice Singhvi observed, “The Act has become a fraud. It seems to have been devised by people with a sick mind who have scant regard for the welfare of the common man”. Justice Ganguly commented, “Land is given for development which must be inclusive. The State is taking advantage of the law against the poor.”
The Bench has cautioned that if remedial measures are not initiated then in another five years, muscle men would take over the private land and utter chaos would prevails as the prices of land are shooting up everywhere.
However, in a morale booster to the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, the apex court complimented it for its land acquisition policy as there are no complaints of any forcible land acquisition.

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