The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to limit the extent of land that can be used by plantations for tourism purposes.

The State, by way of an amendment to the Land Reforms Act, had earlier allowed 5 per cent of land in recognised plantations to be used for cultivating non-plantation crops and tourism. (The Bill passed by the previous United Democratic Front government in 2005 received President’s assent recently). The Cabinet decision specified that 90 per cent of the five per cent land being diverted should be used for mixed farming, dairying, cultivation of vegetables, fruits, ornamental flowers, and medicinal plants,

The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, that has been struck down by the Calcutta High Court as “unconstitutional and void” was described by Governor M. K. Narayanan here on Monday as one of the “most progressive items of legislations” passed by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Mr Narayanan was speaking at an event to mark the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Assembly where he referred to the Singur Act as well as the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, Act, 2011 moved by the Trinamool Congress-led government and passed in the House as the most important legislations.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is exploring the possibility of land reforms even as he has been slammed by activists for not having convened a single meeting of the National Council for Land Reforms (NCLR) headed by him since its formation in 2008. Dr Singh has directed the Planning Commission to set up a meeting with one of the key National Council for Land Reforms members P.V. Rajagopal, who has been on a countrywide tour to identify land issues in the rural India.

Says government move will lead to misuse and diversion of the land

Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has written to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy criticising the government move to allow use of 5 per cent of plantation land for tourism purposes and to classify cashew cultivation areas as plantations. In his letter, released here on Sunday, Mr. Sudheeran said the decision would have serious consequences for the State, the people, and the environment.

Finance Minister K. M. Mani told the Assembly on Tuesday that law allowing conversion of five per cent of plantations for cultivation of other crops and tourism would be implemented carefully.

“None would be allowed to misuse the law,” the Minister said while replying to the debate on the supplementary demands for grants for the current year. The Opposition had contended that the amendment to the Land Reforms Act, which received the assent of the President recently, would lead to conversion of more than 90000 acres of plantations.

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This article examines the implementation of the Forest Rights Act of 2006 in the historical context of Wayanad’s adivasi land struggles. The left-wing Government of Kerala (2006-11) aimed to interpret the FRA as a legal opportunity to obtain forest (department) land and to fulfil decade-old promises to redistribute land to landless adivasis. However, the provisions of the Act were not the right means to bring them redistributive justice. The well-intentioned FRA failed to make an impact in the specifi c historical and legal environment of the region.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has prepared draft amendment to make provisions under the Orissa Prevention of Land Encroachment (OPLE) Act, 1972, more stringent.

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