No forceful land acquisition: Indian Railway

October 9th, 2009 KOCHI - The Indian Railways is set to make a record of building the longest railway bridge in the shortest period at Kochi. Crossing through an island and backwaters of Vembanad Lake, the 4.62 kilometre bridge will be named Vallarpadam Bridge and will be dedicated to nation in November this year.

September 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has said an external agency would probe allegations of graft during her predecessor's tenure. Lawmakers belonging to Bihar's Janata Dal (United) had alleged that that during the tenure of former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, people were asked to cede land to the railways in exchange for jobs and contracts in the organisation.

September 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The railways ministry Wednesday said it would not resort to forceful acquisition of land for railway projects, and that it would review its land acquisition policy. "The ministry of railways has decided that there shall not be any forceful acquisition of land for railway projects," the ministry said in a statement.

August 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee might be protesting the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, but experts believe these address several concerns raised recently during acquisitions. Both the Land Acquisition Amendment and the related Bill on Rehabilitation and Resettlement address several concerns that have been raised in relation to recent project related acquisitions.

August 3rd, 2009 SINGUR - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has said her ministry was ready to set up a rail coach factory at Singur, if the land earlier acquired by the Tatas to set up 'Nano' factory was made available. Banerjee was flagging off the new Singur-Howrah 'Andolan' suburban train in Singur.alking to reporters here on Sunday, Banerjee said she wanted 600 acres of land for the proposed rail coach factory, out of the 1000 acres acquired for the small car project and 400 acres returned to the farmers.

July 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The ruling Congress party is in a quandary over introducing the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill and the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill in parliament after stiff opposition to the proposed legislations by alliance partner Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress. The government was intending to introduce the two bills during the current session of parliament, but this was scuttled by Banerjee at Thursday night's cabinet meeting when she reportedly threatened to walk out if the legislations were approved.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is understood to have raised serious objections to a bill relating to land acquisition for industrialisation and rehabilitation of the land losers in a Cabinet meeting held on Thursday evening. The Union Cabinet reportedly discussed the amendments to the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2007 and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill for nearly three hours.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Acquisition of land remains the biggest challenge in road projects development, Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said here Tuesday. "When I look at the challenges ahead I feel that today land acquisition remains the biggest challenge for road construction," Kamal Nath said while addressing a conclave on highways development.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said her ministry would look at providing infrastructure and land for setting up Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). "We might even look at building IITs in the future," Banerjee told the Lok Sabha in a discussion on the railway budget.

July 5th, 2009 KUSHINAGAR - Farmers in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh have staged a protest against the acquisition of their land for an international airport. The place is connected by road only.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's Economic Survey for 2008-09 has suggested that the government amend laws related to land acquisition and land use in order to address land-related disputes. The survey, tabled in parliament by the finance minister, said the government "amend the land acquisition and rehabilitation law in order to ensure equity between the land owners including farmers, land users and the developers".

April 7th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is preparing a report on land acquisition norms to help the government come up with a uniform policy, protecting the interests of both the industrial and the agricultural sectors. 'There should be transparent land bank available in every state for the purpose of industrial set-up so that the government can assure of continuous tract of land for industrialisation,' CII president Venu Srinivasan told reporters here Tuesday.

April 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rakesh Chopra, an officer of Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) of 1971 batch, has taken over as the new Member (Engineering), Railway Board and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India. He took over from S.K.

March 7th, 2009 NOIDA - At least 15 people were reportedly injured when the police resorted to baton charge and firing after residents of a village here resisted a demolition drive in their area. According to villagers, around 10 a.m.

January 22nd, 2009 RANCHI - Indian Railways Friday paid tributes to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by renaming a railway station in Jharkhand after him. Railways Minister Lalu Prasad announced the new name of the Gomo railway station that comes under the Dhanbad railway division.