Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Agriculture Minister Mr Sharad Pawar
has cleared the proposed amendments to the Land Acquisition Act and the
Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) Policy.
Central Government has retained the 70:30 formula for land acquisition for
industrial projects which will allow states to acquire 30 per cent of land for
private developers provided they have acquired the remaining 70 per cent for
setting up industrial and SEZ projects. Thus, the state will come into picture
only after the private company concerned has acquired the
70 per cent of the land. Earlier, the Left parties, some state
governments and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development had
objected to the 70:30 formula and sought full authority for the state to acquire
land.
The R&R Bill, which is designed to give a statutory status to the National R&R
Policy, 2007, makes it mandatory for parties concerned to get a social impact
assessment prepared by independent multi-disciplinary expert group in cases
where 400 or more families are displaced in plain areas and 200 or more families
in tribal and hilly areas. The bill has also revised the quantum of compensation
to be given to persons whose land is to be acquired by the state. It will be 60
per cent of the land's market value in the case of normal acquisition, and as
much as 75 per cent in the case of urgent acquisition. Land will be acquired at
existing market prices or area floor rate, whichever is higher. In case of a
dispute, land owners will be able to approach the Land Acquisition Disputes
Settlement Authority, which will be set up in every state.
The benefits include allotment of land to the extent available with the
government in resettlement areas and preference in employment to at least one
person from each nuclear family affected by the project. The benefits under the
new policy would be available to all affected persons and families whose
livelihood has been affected. The benefits also include scholarship for
education, preference in allotment of contracts and housing benefits, including
houses to the landless affected families. A special provision has also been made
for providing lifetime monthly pension to vulnerable persons.
Now, the Central Government is planning to turn the R&R policy into a law
through an amendment in the Land Acquisition Act.