Act of land acquisition is given a makeover
The Land Acquisition Land of 1894 which was enacted by the British government has survived even after independence. The Act gave the government the right to possess land from people who privately own it in order to use it for some important purpose that would serve the public. The transactions however will take place at prices that are reasonable.
There were quite a number of efforts made in order to make amendments in the Act that would favour the land owners. In fact, some of the provisions had been amended but it still failed to provide any sense of relief to those who were deprived. Unfortunately, it also increased the cost of the investors.
According to a unanimous opinion, apparently the Act of 1894 suffered with various shortcomings. It had become so obsolete that it wasn’t able to handle all the problems the country faced in terms of growth and progress. Since there were so many disputes, the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act were passed in the year 2013 by the Parliament.
The new act is another way to fight against the injustices while trying to speed up the procedures. It has also provided that no land can be possessed unless the gram Sabha has consented to it. It makes sure that there are enough benefits for all those belonging to different castes and tribes and also mentions that no one will be dispossessed unless all the transactions have taken place on time and other sites for resettlement are ready.
Source – Kumkum Sen
land acquisition, Land Acquisition Act 1894, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, right to possess land
