Daily News Mail

Union Cabinet approves amendment to Land Acquisition Act

• In a bid to ease the process of acquiring land, the Union Cabinet on 29 December,2014 recommended the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act,2013 by including five new categories of projects that would require prior consent of affected families as well as Social Impact Assessment (SIA). These projects related to defence, rural infrastructure and industrial corridors.
• When the UPA passed the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Bill) was brought in last year by UPA government, it was touted as a landmark legislation. But it was criticised by the industry and certain other sections of  people.
• No other changes have been made to the consent and SIA requirements, except in the case of five projects - defence and defence production, rural infrastructure including rural electrification, affordable housing and housing for the poor, industrial corridors as well as infrastructure and social infrastructure projects including public private partnership wherein the ownership continues to vest in government.
• No other changes have been made to the consent and SIA requirements, except in the case of above mentioned five categories. Under the Act, prior consent is required from the 70% affected families for the PPP projects and from 80% for private companies. SIA is mandatory and has to be completed within 6 months.
• Social Impact Assessment  - Whenever the appropriate government intends to acquire land for a public purpose, it shall consult the concerned Panchayat, Municipality, or the Municipal Corporation, as the case may be, at village level or ward level, in the affected area and carry out Social Impact Assessment in consultation with them, in such manner and in such date as may be specified by such Government by notification and to be completed in 6 months.

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