New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi brought a new edge over land acquisition where the party president favoured a balanced approach in securing land for industrial purposes not at the cost of losing fertile land.

“New industries and infrastructure cannot be built without acquiring land,” clarifying  that  “land acquisition would be done which does not result into the loss of large tracts of fertile and productive agriculture land,” said Sonia Gandhi at a public function on Thursday.

Gandhi was speaking to the national stage II of the National Thermal Power Project (NPTC) at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. The stage II project of 2 x 490 MW power plant will supply power to the Commonwealth Games.

Her statement was significant in the context of the recent debate over land acquisition. Meanwhile Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and assuring that the government would bring new legislation on acquiring farmers’ land.

Some states like Haryana have made progress over this legislation and other states still have to follow.

Sonia Gandhi also emphasized that farmers must be provided “adequate compensation and an alternative occupation” where lands are acquired.

Talking about environment, Congress party president said, “ we definitely need to generate more power” for our farmers’ needs, factories and industries, “at the same time we must protect environment to ensure a sustainable development.”

“In whatever we do, we must not forget that our lush forest, mountains are necessary… we have a responsibility to protect them,” she said adding that there is a need to “sustain and nurture” the river and clean air.