Can Rakesh acquire land for a factory? a stakeholder approach

Abstract

District Collector (DC) Rakesh Kumar was tasked with acquiring 320 acres of land for a government-sponsored project to set up a railway coach factory in Palakkad, India. Working under urgent timelines, after fast-tracking the administrative process through the state departments, Rakesh’s initial study suggested that while some residents favor giving the land required for the project, seeing the new factory may improve job opportunities and industrial development in the area, the remaining landowners held negative opinions because of their emotional ties to the land. In the district, a few local politicians were seeking to mobilize people against the local government, and a few activists have stood against enforced land acquisition. Rakesh cannot afford to abandon the project; he is seeking an effective strategy to convince key stakeholders to support and participate in the land sale, as an impact assessment reveals that the benefits and public purpose outweigh social costs.