The landmark Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill that seeks to lay down norms for increased compensation to land owners, is all set to be tabled in Parliament today.
After being introduced in Parliament, the bill is expected to go the standing committee where it will be examined by members from various political parties.
Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has termed the bill ‘historic’. The Cabinet cleared the bill on Monday after Ramesh got a nod along with some changes in the draft after meeting key ally Mamata Banerjee.
Rahul Gandhi, who has championed the cause of the farmers, had made some suggestions along with Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council (NAC). Some of these suggestions have found their way into the bill but one of the primary demands of the NAC – giving farmers six times the market rate as compensation – has been watered down to four times the market rate.
According to the sources NCP chief Sharad Pawar had strongly opposed the bill. They add that the reservations were also backed by former Chief Ministers in the Union Cabinet including Veerappa Moily and Vilasrao Deshmukh. One of the main concerns is that land prices across the country could shoot up due to the bill.
The land acquisition bill, put up for public discussion last month, is an attempt to change an outdated law passed more than a century ago. It will also be the first Central legislation on resettlement and rehabilitation of families necessitated by land acquisition.
The bill proposes that the compensation to the farmer will be four times the market rate. It also proposes that if a private company is acquiring land over 100 acres for a public purpose, all the land will be acquired by the government. Also, if the land acquired is not used for the stated purpose, it will not be returned to the original owner, but go to the state land authority.
All linear projects like railways, canals and power lines will not be covered under the bill.
