Land acquisition has become a contentious issue especially when the aim is industrialisation and the landowner becomes sandwiched between the government and buyer (“Winking at the States”, Nov.2). It is imperative to have a robust land acquisition law because this is the main concern which all investors confront. Another minefield lies in the labyrinthine land dispute resolution system. We have also seen a plethora of cases where land has been acquired from tribals or farmers which leaves them at a loose end. Social impact assessment must be made more meaningful and given more teeth.
Gagan Pratap Singh,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
In the paragraph under the subheading “Undermining Parliament”, the writers ignore the crucial point that if a bill passed by the State legislature is reserved for the President’s consideration, the President has the power not to give assent to it even if it has been sent back to him after reconsideration by the State legislature, provided it is not a money bill. This is not the case with bills passed by Parliament. As far as State legislation is concerned, the President has considerable autonomy to check the intentions involved in the use of provisions under Article 254(2).
Karanveer Singh Shekhawat,
Jaipur, Rajasthan
