India sets up panel on land reforms

INDIA, The Indian Government said Monday it would set up a special panel on land reforms after thousands of poor and landless people converged on the capital to press for land rights.

An estimated 25,000 people from across India gathered in New Delhi after marching 600 kilometres (370 miles) from the central city of Gwalior to demand land reforms.

The panel would look into "all land related issues, including land reforms", the government said in a statement.

The expert committee would make recommendations on land policies, judicial reforms and speedier disposal of court cases related to land disputes, and submit them to another council headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Organisers of the protest march, who were prevented by police from moving to the federal parliament building earlier in the day, welcomed the announcement.

"Our demands have been met. We are fully satisfied, now that the rural development minister came here and made the announcement," said Bharat Bhushan Thakur, a member of protest organising group Ekta Parishad, or Unity Forum.

"These measures will clear the hurdles in giving land to poor people. We are now ready to go back," Thakur said, after thousands of people waving green and white flags spent a day at a dusty ground with no shade from the sun.

New Delhi, Tuesday, AFP.