Rules for implementation in land acquisition
Clearing the decks for land acquisition under the UPA-enacted land acquisition law, the NDA government has notified the rules for its implementation. The new rules notified last month, while bringing clarity in the process of social impact assessment and reducing the scope for litigations, also addresses some of the concerns of the industry.
Under the rules the public hearing has to be conducted in all the gram sabhas where members are directly or indirectly affected by acquisition of the land. Again a gram sabha with half of its members present can pass the resolution in favour or against the acquisition by a majority vote. Giving a leeway to the acquiring authority from listing out all the families affected by the acquisition, the rules give the leeway to give just a representative sample.
To ensure acquisition of minimum amount of land and to facilitate its utilisation, the rules makes it mandatory for the government to prepare a district level inventory of waste and barren land and unutilised public land. The rules however stick to the contentious six months deadline for submission of the SIA report. The industry had objected to the periods saying it was too long and results in cost escalation of the projects
Source: Hindustan Times
BJP-led NDA government, Land Acquisition Act, Land Acquisition Act 1894, Modi-led NDA government, NDA government, UPA-enacted land acquisition law
