New land acquisition policy aims to make owners stakeholders in projectsnews
11 October 2007
Mumbai: The union cabinet has approved the National Policy on Rehabilitation and Resettlement, 2007, to replace the National Policy on Resettlement and Rehabilitation for Project Affected Families, 2003.

The cabinet also decided to bring legislation on the lines of the new rehabilitation and resettlement policy, and to suitably amend the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The government will shortly issue a gazette notification to give effect to the new policy.

The new policy aims at striking a balance between the need for land for developmental activities and, at the same time, protecting the interests of the land owners and other stakeholders like tenants, landless labourers, agricultural and non-agricultural labourers, artisans and others whose livelihood depends on the land involved, the government said in a statement.

The policy also provides that land acquired for a public purpose cannot be transferred to any other purpose but a public purpose, and that too only with prior approval of the government.

When land acquired is transferred for a consideration, eighty per cent of any net unearned income so accruing to the transferor shall be shared with the persons from whom the lands were acquired, or their heirs, in proportion to the value of the lands acquired.

The policy will be applicable in all cases irrespective of the number of people involved and the benefits shall be available to all affected persons and families whose land, property or livelihood is adversely affected by land acquisition or by involuntary displacement of a permanent nature due to any other reason, such as natural calamities, etc.

Provision has also been made for providing lifetime monthly pension to vulnerable persons, such as the disabled, destitute, orphans, widows, unmarried girls, abandoned women or persons above 50 years of age (who are not provided or cannot immediately be provided with alternative livelihood).

It is also proposed to set up a National Rehabilitation Commission to oversee the rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families.
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New land acquisition policy aims to make owners stakeholders in projects