'Land acquisition bill' – part 2: Public purpose, affected families and compensation explained

Published: Wednesday, September 7, 2011, 12:42 [IST]

What is Public Purpose?
Since public purpose can have multiple meaning, the committee has carefully explained each of the segment that can be classified as public purpose. These are as following.

*Strategic purpose e.g. is armed forces, national security
*Infrastructure and industry: where the benefits largely accrue to the general public.
*Land acquired for R&R purpose
*Village and urban sites: Planned development for residential purpose for the poor and educational health sciences
*Land for private companies for public purpose
*Urgent needs that arise from the national calamities

Here again the draft bill clearly states that 'Urgency Clause can only be invoked in the following three circumstances.
1. National defense and security purposes
2. R&R needs in the event of emergencies or natural calamities
3. And it should be exercised in 'rarest of rare" cases

Definition of 'Affected Families'
Another important part of the bill that has dealt with the primary parties which will be losing out on the land.

Land Owners:
1. Family whose land/other immovable properties have been acquired;
2. Those who are assigned land by the Governments under various schemes;
3. Right holders under the Forest Rights Act, 2006

Livelihood Losers: (this basically covers laborers)
1. A family whose livelihood is primarily dependent on the land being acquired
2. May or may not own property

Compensation
Another critical area where different parties can claim of unfair dealing. There is a high possibility that in the final draft this section will see massive reform.

-Urban area: Award amount not less than twice that of the market value
-Rural area: Award amount not less than four times the original market value; earlier it was six times.