Villagers' signatures are being collected from Hariza and tribal areas of the district to express grievances against the proposed Act, which various NGOs in the country have described as ``anti-people and anti-agriculture''.

Director of Legal Aid Centre J Stanny told Express Newsline that the signatures collected from Hariza belt will be submitted to Union Textile Minister Kashiram Rana, while those collected from tribal areas will be handed over to MP Chhitubhai Gamit on November 28.

More than 300 NGOs in the country are opposing the proposed Act, which will be an amendment to Land Acquisition Act, 1985. While opposing certain provisions of the proposed Act, the NGOs have demanded that rehabilitation be made a fundamental right to ensure that those affected are properly resettled. Under the existing Act, the government could acquire land for any public purpose, but had to publish a notification in two local newspapers and give three months to the affected person to make a representation.

But under the proposed Act, the time limit to move the court has been reduced to 30 days. NGOs fear that by the time notice is served on the affected person, the period may lapse.

Moreover, under the proposed Act, an aggrieved person had to approach the High Court. Earlier, one could move even a lower court against the collector's order.

According to Stanny, under the new Act -- necessitated by the `new economic policy and globalisation' -- farmers would have no say in the procedure. After the proposed Act comes in force, people would be forced to part with their land, he claimed, adding that, if an industrialist wanted to acquire a land, the government would have to oblige him. Incidentally, the greatest irony in the proposed Act was that it went against the very spirit of Bhuria Committee recommendation on tribal self-rule, which the State government plans to implement in Dangs from December 1. According to Bhuria committee recommendation, for acquiring a land, the collector has to seek consent of the gram panchayat and taluka panchayat.

``But in case the tribals are not willing to part with their land, the collector can still acquire it and ride roughshod over tribals who are most vulnerable section of the society. Moreover, it is only in tribals areas where water and land is available in plenty and labour is cheap, '' Stanny said.