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Keeping this in view, the Empowered Group of Ministers had only cleared those SEZs where fresh land acquisition was not required or where land acquisition had already taken place. We do not have an institutional mechanism, not for approving the
rehabilitation plan but for monitoring its implementation, a forum for ventilating grievances - similar to the National Human Rights Commission.

Due to the lack of proper environmental and land-use control, Indian landscape looks very unattractive compared to the landscape in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia. Asthetic and economic considerations go hand in hand. Destruction of environment and agriculture bring reunifications of both natural beauty and environmental quality leading to very unattractive and infertile land. Indian policy-makers should take into account of the quality of life in their calculations of economic benefit to create an overall gross domestic happiness rather than having just higher gross domestic product in a scorched land with disposed farmers and destitute labourers.

Concluded.

Dr. Gursharan Singh Kainth started his career as Lecturer at Post Graduate Dept. of Economics, Government College, Gurdaspur, and later at Khalsa College; Amritsar, specializes in Quantitative & Development Economics. Has the distinction of serving Punjab Agricultural Univ, Ludhiana, for more than 2 decades and remained Director-Principal of Saint Soldier Management & Technical Institute, Jalandhar. Currently, heading GAD Institute of Development Studies, Amritsar, a self-financed research institute. Has been honoured with various awards, including Guru Draunacharya Samman, Vijay Rattan Award, etc.
Article posted on January 17, 2009.