Industry body Ficci today opposed Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council's proposal to disallow private sector to buy land directly from farmers, in case more than 400 families are to be displaced.
Suggesting the Haryana model, which involves land acquisition at market price besides annuity for 33 years, the chamber said the industry should be allowed to acquire land directly from farmers.
"This will prevent any forced displacement," it said adding the National Advisory Council (NAC) proposal not to allow direct land purchase by the industry "would be counter- productive at this stage of development in the country".
The NAC proposal, it said, would provide room for bias in the process of land acquisition.
As the government is working to introduce an amendment bill for changing the land acquisition laws in the next session of Parliament, the NAC came out with its recommendations on the issue last week.
It suggested that the industry should not be allowed to acquire land if the number of the displaced families is 400 or more.
Some states are witnessing farmers' agitation against land acquisition for industrial and infrastructure projects.
Political parties, including the ruling Congress at the Centre have lent their support to the farmers' protest and are demanding better compensation and rehabilitation of the displaced people.
Ficci, however, welcomed the proposal as contained in the draft amendment bills requiring that 70% of the land should be acquired by the industry itself. The government in such cases would assist in acquiring the rest 30% land, according to Ficci officials.
It said that the land acquisition process should not be cumbersome at a time when the country's manufacturing sector needs to grow to contribute 25% in the gross domestic product. At present, its contribution to GDP is only 15%.
