New Delhi: With the issue of compensating people for land taken from them to set up industries sparking unrest in several states, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said a new act would deal with the subject.
"If industrial development has any adverse impact on some of our rural folk, we will ensure that there is reasonable compensation and proper rehabilitation," the Prime Minister said in his Independence Day speech.
"A new Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy has been formulated and we will seek parliament's approval for it," he said in his fifth and last such speech for the present tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
According to the Prime Minister, a major step up in investment was required in agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure to create more jobs and bring in a new wave of industrialization in the country.
"Providing employment has been a special priority for us. Our policies for agriculture, for industry, for infrastructure development and for skill development, will all promote employment."
The Prime Minister also spoke of the various social security measures initiated by his government, including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, which he described as a "historic initiative".
"Today the entire country is covered by this programme. It is providing minimum livelihood support to the millions of neediest among us. It is aimed to soften the sharp edges of poverty."
This apart, he said, a bill had already been introduced in parliament to provide social security to the workers of unorganised sector and to extend insurance cover for one member of each landless family in rural areas.
A health insurance for senior citizens and for the families of people below the poverty line were among the other schemes he listed as some of the major schemes launched by his government.
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