Indian Court Upholds Farmers Against Tata Motors

 　　An Indian court has ruled that the government has acted legally in taking back agricultural land leased to a company to build a car factory in West Bengal state. The government has pledged to hand the land back to farmers. The case has become a symbol of the growing conflict over land between farmers and industry and the need to overhaul¹ India's archaic² land acquisition laws.

　　The Kolkata High Court upheld a new law under which the West Bengal government reclaimed³ a large plot of land given to Tata Motors for an automobile⁴ factory.

　　The court ruled that all equipment should be moved out of the factory in two months. It said the company could seek compensation.

　　Tata Motors had moved the project to build the world's cheapest car to another state three years ago following violent protests by villagers over the acquisition of their fertile farmland.

　　The protests were led by the Trinamool Congress, which went on to win power, take charge of the government, and pass a law to take back the land, which remained with the company. Leaders pledged to distribute the land back to the original owners.

　　The case has drawn⁵ widespread attention in a country where conflicts between industry and farmers have reached a flashpoint in several states.

　　Farmers complain that governments often take over their land for very low prices under a century-old law and hand it over to private companies for lucrative⁶ projects, whether it is to build factories, homes or exploit minerals. The displaced farmers say it is difficult for them to find alternate livelihoods⁷.

　　However, industry complains that the biggest hurdle⁸ to expansion in a fast growing economy is finding land for factories. Worries are also growing over state governments or courts blocking or overturning agreements. Economist⁹ D.K. Joshi at Crisil in India says the problem needs attention.

　　"Land acquisition is one very critical factor which needs to be ironed out for promoting infrastructure¹⁰ activity which we really want to," said Joshi.  "Land acquisition if you straighten it out, will help in raising India's supply potential, help in improving its competitiveness, and I think it will also help in improving the sagging¹¹ business confidence and improve the business climate at home."

　　The federal government hopes to provide the solution through a new land acquisition bill which it introduced in parliament earlier this month.

　　The bill, if passed, will raise compensation for farmers to several times over the market value. The government will only be able to acquire land if 80 percent of the affected¹² families agree to sell. Private companies buying more than 100 acres of land in rural areas or more than 50 acres in urban areas will also have to provide jobs to at least one member of an affected family or an annuity¹³ for 20 years.

　　The proposed law could push up the costs for industrial projects, but is seen as providing a fairer deal for farmers as India moves from being a primarily rural economy to a more modern one.

1 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

2 archaic   

adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的

参考例句：

• The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧，如记账不使用电脑。
• Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一，有悠久的历史。

3 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

7 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

8 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

9 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

12 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

13 annuity   

n.年金；养老金

参考例句：

• The personal contribution ratio is voluntary in the annuity program.企业年金中个人缴费比例是自愿的。
• He lives on his annuity after retirement.他退休后靠退休金维生。