Topic of the week : Indian Farmer’s Distress

Agriculture Sector of Indian Economy is one of the most significant part of India. Agriculture is the only means of living for almost two thirds of the employed class in India. As being stated by the economic data of financial year 2013-14, agriculture has acquired 18 percent of

India's GDP. The agriculture sector of India has occupied almost 43 percent of India's geographical area. Agriculture is still the only largest contributor to India's GDP even after a decline in the same in the agriculture share of India. Agriculture also plays a significant role in the growth of socioeconomic

sector in India. Hence the distress here is of the 2/3rd of India. Apart from many, there are two main problems haunting farmer’s in India in 2015: 

• Land Acquisition Bill & the ordinance 

• Weather inconsistencies 

Land acquisition refers to the process where a government acquires land from land owners for any purpose. Generally, the purpose is related to development projects conducted either by PSUs (Public Sector units) or the private sector. 

The issues against such land acquisition:

a) No one, be it the land owners whose land was acquired (mostly farmers), nor those who may not have owned the land but whose occupations were dependent on the land acquired (mostly agricultural

laborers), were compensated monetarily or otherwise as per this Act. No attempt was made for the rehabilitation or resettlement of those who had been affected by such land acquisition either.

b) There was no requirement of any prior consent of the affected parties (those who will lose their land and/or their occupation or be affected by the pollution or environmental impacts of these infrastructure projects in future as they live nearby) for constructing any of these projects.

c) Also, land could be acquired with just a notice by the Collector within a very short time frame where people who would be affected neither had a chance necessarily to challenge the acquisition legally, nor had a chance to find some alternate occupation or arrangements for their own. The government could acquire land in a manner it thinks fit.

d) Most of the land was acquired in the name of India's development, but the local people found very little stake or benefits in the project. Not only were they not given much compensation or rehabilitated, they also did not get employment opportunities (which in many cases were promised

to them) in the name of development of the area.