The draft bill, which has been put in public domain, proposes a liberal compensation and award package for land owners that includes a subsistence allowance of 3,000 per family per month for a year, annuity of 2,000 per family per month for 20 years, 20% of the appreciation in value of land during each transaction for 10 years, and mandatory employment provisions, among other things.
The Government has released the draft Land Acquisition Bill that seeks to put in place a legal framework not only to protect the interests of owners and prospective buyers, but also of those whose livelihoods depend on the acquired physical asset.
The Bill says land can be acquired by the Government at a price not less than twice the market value in urban areas. It also says that in rural areas, the compensation will not be less than six times the market price.
The draft says multi-cropped irrigated land cannot be acquired in any circumstances and consent of 80 per cent of project affected families is mandatory if the Government acquires land for use by private companies for stated public purpose.
The draft Bill makes it clear that public purpose once stated cannot be changed and the Government will not acquire land for private companies for private purpose.
The Bill also redefines the Urgency Class. It was under this Clause that the Uttar Pradesh Government acquired land from farmers at a cheaper price and sold it to builders at a higher rate.
In the foreword to the draft Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the Government intended to enact a transparent and flexible set of rules and regulations and ensure its enforcement.
Mr. Ramesh said the draft Bill was being placed in the public domain as part of the pre-legislative consultative process. Comments are invited preferably before August 31.
The minister added that land records would also be updated and digitilised to induce transparency.