Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 Cleared By the Union Cabinet

Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 was cleared by the Union Cabinet on 13 December 2012, making it compulsory to get consent of 80 percent land owners. However in case of the Public-Private Projects (PPP), it was made mandatory that the consent of 70 percent people should be taken. The bill was passed at the Cabinet which was presided by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Land Acquisition Bill was made final by the Rural Development Ministry which also included suggestion of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi had suggested the government to take consent of 80 percent land owners for purchasing the land in order to set up PPP projects and industries. Sonia Gandhi was against the proposal of Group of Ministers that consent of 2/3rd land owners was sufficient to acquire the land for setting up industries and PPP projects.

Group of Ministers suggested that consent clause should be kept at 67 percent for private projects and PPP projects. The Group of Ministers was constituted by the Union Government after ministers voiced out their reservations against a few provisions of bill at Cabinet meeting.

The government wanted introduction of official revision to Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 in the Lok Sabha. In the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, there was no provision of returning the land which was not used. But as per the clause in new Bill, in case the acquired land was not utilised for 5 years, it would lapse.