A 'capability approach' to understanding loses arising out of the compulsory acquisition of land in India

Abstract

This research re-examines the nature and intensity of losses, associated with the compulsory acquisition of private land for public projects, through the lens of the ‘capability approach.’ Through in-depth interview of forty-seven landowners in and around Bengaluru city, whose land is currently under notification for compulsory acquisition for the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, this research identifies eighteen functionings of land which are crucial to the well-being of the landowners. Together these functionings encompass the financial, social, political and personal aspects of landowners wellbeing and are grouped under five heads: (i) being able to secure basic ne..