The government has lined up the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 for consideration on Tuesday. The Bill, piloted by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, is intended "to ensure a humane, participatory, informed, consultative and transparent process for land acquisition for industrialisation, development of essential infrastructural facilities and urbanisation with the least disturbance to owners of the land and other affected families."
The legislation seeks to provide "just and fair compensation" to families whose land is acquired or affected by the acquisition. The Bill includes provisions for rehabilitation and resettlement of affected people.
Introduced on September 7, 2011 in the Lok Sabha, it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development a week later. The amended version of the Bill includes the suggestions of the standing committee and Opposition parties.
Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, V Naraynasamy, is also scheduled to introduce a Bill to amend the Right to Information Act, 2005. The amendment aims at keeping political parties out of its purview.
The government may also propose an amendment in Section 2 of the Act, which defines public authority. The proposed amendments will make it clear that the definition of public authority will not include any political party registered under the Representation of People Act.