Jairam's 'urban' portfolio

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh now has a “new” portfolio, according to angry civil society groups protesting against the proposed Land Acquisition Bill drafted by his ministry. They’re calling him urban development minister. At a protest staged at Jantar Mantar by Medha Patkar-led National Alliance of People’s Movements, speakers from Chindwara and Betwa said the objective of the new Bill seems to be to facilitate urbanisation. “It is surprising that the Bill is coming from Jairam Ramesh who is a rural development minister. He is actually playing the role of urban development minister. He is enabling the shrinking of rural and agrarian land, grazing land, in fact any land through such a law that would make every transfer possible provided there is compensation,’’ said forest cultivator Manik Bhai from Sonebhadra. Displaced people from Indore’s Betwa industrial corridor echoed his views.