Doing a volte face on his predecessor’s stand, the new rural development minister, Jairam Ramesh, has accepted several crucial recommendations of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) on how to compensate people who lose their land for industrial projects.
“We have accepted NAC’s recommendations. We are working with the NAC,” he said after a meeting with NAC members here on Wednesday.
NAC member N C Saxena told FE that the minister had agreed to combine the two Bills pertaining to land acquisition?one for acquisition and another for relief and rehabilitation ? into one single Bill, as proposed by the NAC.
Ramesh also found merit in NAC’s proposal that those who give up land for private projects should be allowed to benefit from the increase in the price of their assets on account of the urbanisation that follows. NAC had recommended that in addition to the compensation to be paid at the time of acquiring the land, the land owners should be paid a portion (25%) of the difference between the market price of the asset at the time of the sale and inflated price due to urbanisation for the next ten years.
Saxena said the minister was favourably inclined to accept this proposal also, although a final call on how much of the increased price would be shared with the displaced people was yet to be taken.
Pertinently, the minister has also agreed with the NAC view that not only the land owners but also the landless who depend on the land for livelihood must also be compensated. Considering that many parts of central India are bereft of proper land records, those with possession of land for at least three years would be eligible for compensation.
“There will be no instance between our ministry and the NAC where one can say the NAC is moving in one direction and the ministry in another direction. This is not possible,” Ramesh told reporters after the meeting.
The minister said the draft composite Bill would be put up for public debate by the middle of next week, adding that it was expected to be placed before Parliament by the end of the monsoon session.
But there was no clarity on whether the ministry has agreed for 100% land acquisition by the government, a key recommendation of the NAC. “You wait for the Bill. When the Bill is presented, it will become clear whether there will be 100% private acquisition or 100% will be acquired by the government.”
“I have been a member of the NAC. So my aim will be that the Bill that we are preparing will be prepared by both the NAC and our ministry,” he said.