New measures were announced yesterday to stop excessive use of land for construction and industrial projects.

A State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday decided that:

Charges for land use rights and tax on land use be raised to curb increasing encroachment on farmland.

Revenue from transfer of land use rights be part of local government budgets instead of being held by local land departments as is the current practice.

Top local government officials be held responsible for land management and protection of farmland.

Farmers whose land is taken away should be compensated adequately so that they can maintain their quality of life.

The meeting also noted increasing cases of violations of laws and regulations in land acquisition.

Statistics from the Ministry of Land and Resources suggest that one in three construction projects in recent years are on land acquired illegally. From October 2004 to May 2005, the figure jumped to one in two projects.

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