PANAJI: A year after notifying new land acquisition policy to acquire land for public projects under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 of the central government, the state government has decided to frame rules under the said act to resume the stalled land acquisitions.
The state government adopted the central act in 2014 and passed amendments to the said act in the legislative assembly in March 2015.
Thereafter, a new land acquisition policy was notified in June 2016.
Sources in the government said that all pending land acquisitions had been moved to the ambit of the new act. But new rules have not been framed under the central act, which has kept land acquisitions on tenterhooks in the state since 2014.
Consequently, the state government has now decided to frame the rules under the act.
“Due to the absence of new rules under the act, the state government has not been able to initiate process for land acquisition since 2014, although the state assembly passed the amendment bill to the central act in March 2015 and notified new land acquisition policy of the state in June 2016,” the sources said.
Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday confirmed to ‘The Navhind Times’ that the government will soon frame rules under the central act.
In June 2016, the state government had notified the land acquisition policy to acquire land for public projects on priority basis.
The policy, which promises benefits to rural landowners, was notified under the central land acquisition act. It provides for procurement of land by way of a deed of conveyance. The entitlement of the owner of the acquired land will be protected by providing adequate consideration as deserved by the owner.
The central land acquisition act came into force on January 1, 2014 in the country.
“Since the introduction of the new land acquisition act, the acquisition process has come to a standstill in Goa. Not a single land acquisition has taken place for any purpose with effect from January 2014 onwards till date, under the new act,” the sources rued.