Despite opposition from the CPI(M), the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday passed amendments to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (RFCTLARRA), 2013, exempting three State laws from its purview.
However, the government has retained the compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement modalities of the Central Act for the three exempted State laws.
According to the objects of the amendments, the government passed in February a Bill to exempt from the RFCTLARRA the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Harijan Welfare Schemes Act, the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act (TNALIPA) and the Tamil Nadu Highways Act. The Governor reserved this for the consideration of the President.
However, the State now decided to withdraw the previous amendment and pass the current one, underwhich, besides the provisions of compensation under the Central Act, the modalities for rehabilitation and resettlement would apply to land acquisition under the three State laws.
When the Bill was taken up for consideration on Monday, CPI(M) leader K. Balakrishnan opposed the amendments, in particular the exemption given to the TNALIPA. Speaking to The Hindu outside the Assembly, he said the amendments went against the very spirit of the Central Act aimed to protect the interests of farmers.
