Three days before the ordinance on the land bill is set to lapse on August 31, the NDA government on Friday issued an executive order to ensure continuity of higher compensation and rehabilitation benefits for all land-losers, irrespective of the purpose for which their land had been acquired.
The order under section 113 (Power to Remove Difficulties) of the land bill formally gives burial to the NDA government’s land ordinance that removed the consent clause, social impact assessment among other provisions to make the land laws "industry-friendly". As per the order, acquisition under 13 central acts that deals with public purposes like building highways, railways and nuclear plants will attract four times the marker price in rural areas and twice the market price in urban centres. Land-losers will also get rehabilitation package including the option of mandatory employment, houses or alternative land in some cases.
Acquisition under these 13 central acts will not attract the consent clause and the Social Impact Assessment that are required in acquisition for private purposes like industries.