The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, rechristened as the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with four amendments by the Government.
The amendments, moved by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, were suggested by the principal Opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party.
The first amendment in Chapter 2 was on the determination of social impact and public purpose.
It excluded irrigation projects from the compulsory Social Impact Assessment study within a period of six months from the date of acquisition.
The Narmada Bachao Andolan, a movement that has been demanding rehabilitation for evicted people on the banks of Narmada, said the amendment was done in the backdrop of three decades of struggle against 30 big dams, 135 medium dams and 3,000 small dams on the Narmada and its tributaries in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
“Together these dams are affecting nearly five million people in three States and as of now not in a single project the satisfactory resettlement and rehabilitation has been done by the Government,” they said in a statement.
The Bill has been sent back to the Lok Sabha with the amendments and it is likely to be passed.
There are two minor amendments in Clause 25 of the Act, which deals with the determination of compensation.
In the second schedule of the Act, the clause which deals with rehabilitation for irrigation projects has also been amended by the Government.
It is learnt that the Gujarat Government reined in the BJP leadership at the Centre to put pressure on the Union Government to make changes in the Bill.
Session extended
The Government, in an effort to get some crucial Bills passed, has extended the session for a day, till Saturday. The Government is hoping to pass the Pension Bill in Rajya Sabha too.
jigeesh.am@thehindu.co.in