The new Land Acquisition Act, enacted by Parliament this year to replace a 120-year-old legislation, will come into force from tomorrow.
The historic Act to provide just and fair compensation to farmers was passed by both Houses of Parliament with overwhelming majority during its Monsoon Session. It received the Presidential assent on September 27.
"The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act" stipulates mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent of affected people for acquiring land for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects and 80 per cent for acquiring land for private companies.
With the Act coming into force, state governments will have to set up at least six bodies including the state-level Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority in each state to hear disputes arising out of projects where land acquisition has been initiated by the state or its agencies.
As per rules made by the Ministry, the state governments should take immediate steps to create and establish the State Social Impact Assessment Unit, the office of the Commissioner Rehabilitation and Resettlement and the State Level Monitoring Committee.
The new law was enacted as the archaic Act of 1894 suffered from various shortcomings including silence on the issue of resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by acquisition of land.
