No agricultural lands for SEZs: Govt

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New Delhi, March 24: The Centre is contemplating amending the land acquisition law to ensure adequate compensation, both monetary and psychological, to people whose lands are acquired.

The government also said no agricultural and irrigated land should be taken for Special Economic Zones.

“We are contemplating incorporating certain issues in the existing law. It is before the Standing Committee and soon Parliament will discuss it,” Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said at a seminar on “Relief and Rehabilitation of Displaced Persons” organised by National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi.

“When a person is not ready to sell his land and it is acquired through the law, he has to be compensated financially as well as psychologically. Besides, land for land is also acceptable,” he said.

The Land Acquisition Act, 1894 enables governments to acquire land for public purposes as well as for Companies registered under the Companies Act.

Following protests in Nandigram and other SEZs, it was proposed that the law should be suitably amended so that the government can acquire land for public purposes. The only time the government can step in is, when a company has acquired 70 per cent of the required land and then seeks state’s help to take over the rest.