TN: Farmers Question Intentions Behind Land Consolidation Act, Allege Threat to Agriculture, Waterbodies

The Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (for Special Projects) Act, 2023 is facing stiff resistance from farmers across the state. The Act enables the state government to consolidate land owned by different departments, without public hearing or consent from the stakeholders, while there is no proper definition for ‘Special Projects’.

A statewide protest by the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam (affiliated to the All India Kisan Sabha) was held on November 19, urging the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government to withdraw the Act and save the interests of farmers and water bodies facing pertinent threats from encroachments. 

The farmers association has raised suspicion over the enactment of the new Act for land acquisition, despite the existence of appropriate Central and state legislations. The manner in which the Bill was passed in the Assembly on the last day of the session during April 2023, along with 16 other Bills without any discussion, increases the suspicions, it said.

Is the Act Needed?

Despite the leaders of several farmers unions meeting Chief Minister M K Stalin soon after the Bill was passed  (April 21, 2023) in the House to register their concerns, the Bill received the assent of the Governor on August 14, 2023. The Act was published in the gazette on October 18, 2024, much to the “shock” of the farmers associations and environmental organisations, since they said they had received a positive response from the Chief Minister a year ago,

“There are several existing Acts for land acquisition for industrial purposes, including the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997. What is the need for enacting a new law for acquiring lands for special projects”, P Shanmugam, state president of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam told  Newsclick.

‘Handing Over Land to Private Players Made Easy’

Further, there is no definition for ‘Special Projects’ in the Act, which would empower the state government and authorities concerned to decide on almost every project as special, to silence the dissent from the stakeholders.

“Up to 100 hectares (247 acres) of land can be handed over to any individual or organisation, submitting a proposal to bring up an industry or any company as per the act.  Without any definition for the special projects in the Act, the government can almost snatch the land from the poor and the farmers and hand it over to the private players”, Shamnugam said. 

Sami Natarajan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, addressing a protest in Kanniyakumari district.

The AIKS has criticised the decision of the government to publish the Act, without discussion in the Assembly or sending it to the select committee for further discussion. The lack of farmer-friendly provisions in the Act was also criticised by the farmers associations. 

“This new act does not have provisions for public hearing, environment impact assessment, and seek permission from gram sabhas. This undermines the provisions in the Fair Compensation Act and denies the democratic rights of the stakeholders, including both the farmers and general public”, Shanmugam added.

Threat to Water Bodies

The Act has included provisions to protect the water bodies with the 100 hectares of land proposed to be acquired for any special project. It mentions that the project proponent should submit a hydrological plan to maintain the water level in the water bodies, ensure capacity of the canals in both upstream and downstream are not affected.

“These provisions will be detrimental to the farmers and the common public. Once the land is handed over to the proponent, who will ensure the permission for farmers or public to utilise the water bodies present within the campus? We have seen private players encroaching the water bodies, including lakes, ponds, canals and rivers all across the state”, said Sami Natarajan, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam. 

Environmental activists, too, are raising such allegations on the measures to protect the water bodies, which has become a challenge in the state. Handing over land with water bodies can only lead to damage to the water bodies, grazing lands and environmental issues, the farmers' organisations claim.

“The DMK government does not want to listen to the apprehensions of the farmers on several issues, including such Acts, to acquire land. They want to destroy farm lands and agriculture under the guise of increasing the industries in the state”, Natarajan alleged.