The Government of Telangana on Friday announced a new land acquisition policy in tune with the Act made by the Centre in September 2013. It facilitates negotiation for enhanced compensation in the range of 5 per cent to 25 per cent on the market value calculated under the provisions of the Central Act.
The new policy called “The Telangana State Policy for Acquisition of Land through Agreement”, was announced under the Righet to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013, and is aimed at guiding and facilitating the government at the district-level to acquire critical extents of land (within limitations in the policy) through negotiated agreement.
In the orders issued pronouncing the policy, Principal Secretary (Revenue) to the Government B.R. Meena stated that it would help avoid undue time and cost overruns in project completion for want of critical parcels of land and would minimise litigation over compensation by duly conducting negotiation and passing the consent award.
Further, the policy specifies that process for land acquisition by agreement should be initiated by the Land Acquisition Officer (Collector) based on the request made by the requiring body citing urgent and critical requirement or based on specific orders of State level appropriate government; that land acquisition by agreement under this policy should not be used at district level to procure land beyond an extent of 10 acres in strip acquisition for any canal or bund work in any irrigation project or a road work. However, it allows land acquisition up to a maximum extent of 50 acres in case of requirement for resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) centres in any project and also acquisition up to 75 acres to meet the unanticipated requirement that arise at an advanced stage of completion of any project. The negotiation committee to be formed under the provisions of the policy would negotiate for enhanced compensation in the range of 5 per cent to 25 per cent increase on the market value. Any increase beyond 5 per cent of market value, agreed by negotiation committee, should be based on specific merits of each case to be recorded by the committee.
It is aimed at facilitating the government to acquire critical extents of land through negotiated agreement
