Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has defended his decision to retain a role for the government in land acquisition for Public Private Partnerships. "If you are going to leave everything to private purchase it is the small land owner and livelihood losers who are going to be badly affected," he says.
CNN-IBN spoke to him regarding the matter.
Rupashree Nanda: You have turned down certain important recommendations of the standing committee?
Jairam Ramesh: Government is the ultimate authority of what goes to parliament in the form of a bill. The standing committee makes its recommendations. We take the recommendations on board. We accept it. We modify it. We reject it. Over 85 per cent to 90 per cent of the recommendations of the standing committee on land acquisition have been accepted. There were two important recommendations; that the government should have no role in land acquisition in public private partnerships and, no role in the acquisition of projects in private sector. In these, I have a different point of view. I have not turned it down. Because, I believe that there is a role for government. Land markets in India are imperfect. Information markets in India are imperfect - and if you are going to leave everything to private purchase it is the small land owner and livelihood losers who are going to be badly affected....
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