Union cabinet clears land acquisition bill

The Union Cabinet on Monday cleared the land acquisition bill which proposes to give a much better deal, including higher compensation, to landowners, and sets the stage for a radical overhaul of the 1894 Act. The proposed law also aims to give Rahul Gandhi a potent talking point ahead of the UP polls. The bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday amid indications that the government was working against the political deadline of UP elections. Indications are that the government may try to get the bill passed in the winter session, after it is vetted by the Standing Committee. The bill, among other things, makes it mandatory for private parties buying 50 acres in urban areas to file intimation with the district collectors on “the intent to buy the land, the purpose of purchase and the particulars of the land to be bought.” Although scheduled for April, there are indications that the UP polls may be brought forward. Hence, there is the urgency to help Congress tackle the hot button issue of land acquisition. The government hopes to pitch the food security law to project Congress as a party that cares for the ‘aam admi’. The new bill would give enhanced compensation and relief and rehabilitation (R&R) package to displaced persons. The ‘public purpose’ has been tightly defined to curb whimsical acquisitions. Private companies would have to give R&R package even if they directly buy land from landowners, provided the area is over 50 acres in urban areas and 100 acres in rural. At the Cabinet meeting, some counseled caution because of the repercussions the bill could have on acquisition, industrialization and infrastructure development. Most of the suggestions came from former CMs in the meeting, including Sharad Pawar, Veerappa Moily, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Virbhadra Singh. Urban development minister Kamal Nath also asked for a relook at the definition of “infrastructure”. It’s likely that some of the bill’s provisions might be tweaked. However, anxious to introduce the bill in the current session, the Cabinet decided to skip the time-consuming routine of setting up a GOM to go into the issue. Instead, an informal group would be set up which will put across its suggestions to the Standing Committee. The legislation will be discussed at the meeting of National Development Council scheduled this month, while a meeting of CMs is under consideration.