TIVIM: Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar has appealed to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to take necessary steps to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2013.
In a letter to the chief minister, Kandolkar stated that in an attempt to solve land acquisition problems, the UPA government brought in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2013, commonly called the new Land Acquisition Act, early this year. The intention was to make land acquisition more transparent and farmer friendly; however, the new Act is as much a deterrent to growth as the old one.
“The new Act came into effect from January 2014 and on going through the various provisions of the act, it felt that several provisions have become major hindrances in the process of land acquisition. The provisions are so stringent and complex that the authorities in the process of land acquisition will not be able to adhere to the time schedule prescribed therein, for various stages,” stated Kandolkar in the letter.
“It is seen that several establishments/ authorities are required to be created under various provisions of the new Act. The formalities to be performed, up to the stage of issuing the preliminary notification itself are time consuming and more multifarious. Almost all the provisions are additions to the repealed Act,” he said.
“In the new Act, not only have the rates been corrected, but the land buyer has to pay twice the market value of the land in urban areas and four times in rural areas. There is also an additional compensation to be paid to the affected families to ensure their rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R).”
“The Union Government is seized of the matter and the Ministry of Rural Development (GOI) has stepped forward to remove the obstructions by way of amendment to the Act. The issue of land acquisition is placed in the concurrent list.
Both Parliament and State legislatures can make law on the subject.”
“It is, therefore, in the interest of public, urged to take necessary steps to amend the Act to eliminate the procedure so that the land for any project in public interest can be acquired within the minimum time frame,” stated the letter.
