New Delhi, Aug 12: The government today said it will soon bring the second draft of the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill with an aim to make the new law applicable to acquisition of land measuring 50 acres and above for urbanisation purpose.
“We should make some distinction between urbanisation and industrialisation. Both industrialisation and urbanisation should not be treated equally. Now a days, all misuse is happening in the name of industrialisation.
“In the next draft (of the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill) we are planning to make (acquisition applicable) for land measuring 50 acres and above for urbanisation purposes,” Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said here.
As per the first draft of the bill, rehabilitation and resettlement provisions are applicable only when private companies buy land equal to or more than 100 acres on their own.
Under the new draft, rehabilitation and resettlement provisions will apply in industrial cases only if 100 acres or more land is acquired, the same will be applicable for 50 acres or above if it is for urbanisation purpose.
Ramesh was talking to a delegation of farmers from Bhatta Parsaul led by UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna, who were demanding immediate passing of the law.
Ramesh urged the farmers to keep up the pressure on the government for passing of the bill as industrial houses and business associations might oppose it, arguing that it will push back the industrialisation process.
“Keep up the pressure on government...Many industry associations are already saying you are demanding six times more compensation and how will we give that. How will industrialisation take place if you keep that much burden. A campaign should not run that industrialisation got stopped due to this land acquisition bill,” Ramesh said.
The minister said the government's move will not impede industrialisation at all. Industrialisation should happen but not in a manner that it affects farmers's livelihood, he said.
“The second change in the bill is that while we earlier talked only about land owners, in this draft, we also talking about landless and those dependent upon that land for their livelihood...they should also be compensated,” he said.
Ramesh said the bill also provides for assessing social impact of industrialisation at Gram Panchayat level if more than 100 acres of land is acquired because people and not the industries should be defining public interest. PTI
