With an aim to promulgate the Land Bill again, the NDA government on Friday issued an order before the land ordinance lapses on August 31.
“It is proposed to issue an order under Section 113 (1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act, 2013) for extending the provisions of compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement as mentioned in First, Second and Third Schedules to the Acts mentioned in the Fourth Schedule of the Act,” said a statement issued by the Rural Development Ministry.
“This Act came into force on January 1, 2104, by repealing the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Act inter-alia provided for compensation up to four times the market value in rural areas and twice the value of land in urban areas; rehabilitation and resettlement benefits not only for land losers but also for livelihood losers,” it reads.
The order stated that RFCTLARR (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, was promulgated on December 31, 2014. After which the RFCTLARR (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 was promulgated on April 3, 2015, and then again on May 30, 2015.
The replacement Bill relating to the RFCTLARR (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 was referred to the Joint Committee of the Houses for examination and report and is pending with the Committee.
“The current ordinance will lapse on August 31, 2015, thereby, placing land owners at the losing end. The lapse would lead to denial of benefits of enhanced compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement in cases of land acquisition under the 13 Acts specified in the Fourth Schedule to the RFCTLARR Act as extended to land owners under the said Ordinance,” the release said.
It adds: “Since the Centre considers it necessary to extend the benefits available to land owners under RFCTLARR Act to similarly placed land owners whose land are acquired under the 13 Central
enactments specified in the Fourth Schedule, the government has decided to uniformly apply the beneficial provisions of Section 105 of the RFCTLARR Act relating to the determination of compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement in the interest of <g data-gr-id="21">land owners</g>,” said the order.