Land Acquisition Bill tabled in Lok Sabha today

The controversial Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill was moved for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill seeks to provide "just and fair" compensation to families whose land has been acquired for industrial purposes.

The bill by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) proposes payment of compensation that is up to four times the market value in rural areas and two times the market value in urban areas.

The Bill will replace over a century-old Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which suffers from various shortcomings, including silence on the issue of resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by the acquisition of land.

Besides, it had the much criticised "Urgency Clause" which never truly defines what constitutes an urgent need and leaves it to the discretion of the acquiring authority.

Apart from this, it provided low rates of compensation.

With PTI inputs