Jairam Ramesh for fast-track courts to settle land rights-India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has advocated the need to set up fast track courts to effectively tackle Naxal menace in the country. Addressing the State Revenue Ministers Conference on Modernization of Land Records here, Ramesh said that if the issue of land rights of tribals would have been handled effectively in the country, the naxal menace could have been addressed in a better manner. Ramesh said that he favoured the idea of fast track courts to settle the land rights of tribals in a speedy fashion. He assured that this issue will be taken up with the Law Ministry soon, and called for the replication of the Andhra Pradesh model, where para-legal army helps the tribals to fight court cases. Further, Ramesh promised flexibility in spending of funds by the state governments and said that a detailed guideline will be issued soon in this regard. Referring to the Bhoodan land, he said out of the 5 million hectares of such land, only 2.5 million hectares got distributed to the poor and the needy till date and a detailed survey is needed to ascertain the facts in this regard.

Jairam Ramesh for fast-track courts to settle land rights in Naxal areas