New land law not to be a reality before 2014: Ramesh

The new land law, that promises inflated compensation for farmers, will require more time to become a reality.

The new land law, that promises inflated compensation for farmers, will require more time to become a reality.

HT Image

Although the bill was passed in Parliament last month, the UPA government is yet to frame the set of rules for the law and this process is just going to begin. The rules of a law are the fineprint underlining the details of the legislation.

"We are working on the rules. The new Right to Fair Compensation And Transparency In Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation And Resettlement law will be effective from either January 1 or April 1 of 2014," rural development minister Jairam Ramesh told HT. The land law had received Presidential assent last week.

The government also plans to rope in representatives of the industry while framing the rules. The move assumes significance as the bill has already been dubbed as a dampener for new projects by a section of the industry as it proposes a four-fold hike based on market price, of the cost of the land for acquisition, among other stringent conditions.

The framing of rules will also dwell on the touchy subject of state's authority on land use. "The set of rules will basically speak about what we expect the states to do in particular situations. Like, what will happen if the state government changes the land use pattern from agricultural use to commercial purpose," Ramesh told HT.

General public will also be invited to give suggestions on framing the rules. With time running out before the elections, the government managers are keen to roll out the benefits of the new law so that it allows the UPA to reap political benefits.