Anna Hazare was once again in the front page. Farmers and Opposition parties were united in protests and the gushing water once again shooed away angry protesters in the capital. They were protesting against the new “Land Acquisition Amendment Bill”. What does the bill contain for such a united agitation? Is the Government exploiting farmers? Who is it benefiting or who is losing out? To know more, read on.
What is this bill for?
The Bill is to simplify, reduce costs and speed up the process of acquiring lands for Government inspired public purpose projects. The new bill amends (changes) the 2013 Land Acquisition Bill.
What are the changes proposed?
- The Bill deletes two steps, for projects in the following sectors:
Here are the two steps omitted:
- Deletes: 80% agreement rule:
Previously it was mandatory that 80% of the landowners had to give their consent for their land to be acquired. For Example: Government has planned to construct a national highway from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, and it would have to acquire land belonging to 100 farmers for the project. According to the existing rule, it should compulsorily get the consent of minimum 80 farmers to acquire the land.
The Central Government is trying to do away with 80% rule. Because it eliminates the possibility of few landlords causing major delays to critical projects like Nuclear and Defense.
2. Deletes Social Impact Assessment (SIA):
SIA requires the measuring of the effect of acquisition on the lives of Landowners and also on the people dependent on that land. For Example: Government is acquiring a 100 acre farmland in a remote area of Andhra Pradesh for ISRO projects. It previously had to conduct a study of the social and economic impact of land loss on the landowners and workers dependent on that land. Based on the assessment, further decision was made, whether to acquire the land or not. SIA was causing delay of close to a year. This Amendment is directed to make way for swift acquisitions in crucial projects.
- Wider benefits: Previously excluded 13 projects are now eligible for compensations. Some of them are Metro, Mining, Petroleum, Electricity, Monuments and River valley projects.
- Private hospitals and Educational Institutions are exempted from SIA, as they are now included under the definition of Public Purpose.
What is the catch?
Possible Scenario:
An Educational project can now take over a multi-crop irrigated land without (Social Impact Assessment) SIA and even Supreme Court cannot come in its way. This ridicules Indian farmer as this project can be completed in any other region, without forgoing loss of such fertile land.
Who gains what?
What will be the impact once the bill is passed?
“Make in India”: will gain a huge boost. Main problems faced by Industries to be set up in India are delayed land allotments, expensive acquisition process and lack of infrastructure. All these problems can be tackled by the amendments.
Strategic points: India avoids losing strategic foot in setting up Defense related projects. When you are conducting a survey in a border village in Arunachal Pradesh regarding setting up of a Defense project, it is child’s play for China to amass all the info of the upcoming army project. It provides them strategic advantage to make a counter move. This puts Indian Defense on the back foot even before the project takes off.
Is this Amendment bill Anti-farmer?
The Bill in itself is not Anti-farmer, but a lot depends on how the bill is made use of. The amendment gives government the power to acquire multi-crop irrigated area. Thus even highly fertile land can be acquired with no second thought. Since Indian agriculture is still limping in efficiency, the scarce fertile land cannot be disturbed. Earlier, even if multi-crop irrigated was acquired, there had to be a similar waste land developed proportionately. But that clause has been omitted in the amendment. Going forward, if the bill is passed, there should be concerned efforts to not disturb the fertile land for Projects such as rural infrastructure, Housing for Poor and Industrial Corridors. Multi-crop irrigated land acquisition should be the last resort, and only for highly critical and inevitable projects.
Who are protesting against it?
Congress, Janata Pariwar, Samajwad party, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti.
Will it be passed?
The Bill will be passed as BJP has a majority when both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are called for a Joint sitting.
Explain Easy (www.explaineasy.com)
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