The brouhaha over Coalgate has pushed the genuine long-term issues in coal to the background. India's coal reserves are smaller than estimated and the flurry of coal-based power plants that have been approved in recent years has seen a frenetic rush to tie up coal resources, which at this rate would last no more than 20 years. Auction of mines is by itself no solution to the problems created by private allotment; auctions need to be carefully crafted and there should be production-sharing contracts monitored by a statutory regulator.

We condemn the attack by the Maoists on 21 April near Kerlapal village in Sukma district (in Chhattisgarh) in which they killed two security guards and abducted the Sukma district collector, Alex Paul Menon. At the time of this attack, Menon, accompanied by security guards, was in the process of conducting Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan across the district. (Letters)

While there are some positive features in the Land Acquisition Bill – the inclusion of both acquisition and rehabilitation in the same legislation, and provision for the displaced to receive a share of the appreciation in value over time – the regressive features dominate and threaten to make acquisition by industry a far more easy process that will leave the current occupants with little more than a large compensation.