Union Cabinet clears Land Acquisition Bill

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the Land Acquisition Bill. According to the decision the consent of as many as 80 per cent of the landowners is required in case of private acquisition.

The bill further says that in case of public-private partnership, consent of 70 per cent of the landowners is required for the land acquisition. However, no consent is required if the land is acquired by the government.

The Bill says the new rules can be applied with retrospective effect. It also stipulates recompense for land losers and says rehabilitation colonies must have several facilities like schools and hospitals.

Consent of as many as 80 per cent of the landowners is required in case of land acquisition by private parties.

Sources said the bill was finalised by the Rural Development Ministry incorporating the suggestion of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi who had asked the government to take consent from 80 per cent land owners for purchase of land.

The bill was given the go-ahead at the Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Manmonan Singh.

Sources had said that Gandhi was not in favour of the Group of Ministers' proposal that the consent of two-thirds of "land losers" (from whom land would be purchased) was enough for acquiring land for industries and PPP projects.

The GoM had suggested that the consent clause be kept at 67 per cent for PPP projects and private projects.

The government had constituted the GoM after some ministers voiced strong reservations against certain provisions of the bill at the Cabinet meeting.

Minister of State for Rural Development Lalchand Kataria had on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that the government intends to introduce the official amendments to the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 in the Lok Sabha in the winter session.

Kataria had also told the reporters that the bill has a provision for return of the unutilised land. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 had no provision for return of the unutilised land.

(With Additional Inputs from PTI)

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