'Land acquisition bill', Part-3. Rehabilitation and Resettlement

Rehabilitation and Resettlement Entitlements: Here the draft has tried to narrow or define as many things as the committee members have tried to think of. Perhaps this is also one area where the media will either report with a delay or explain on the intricacies at a later date but we are placing all the facts now!

For land owners, following are the compensation
1. Subsistence allowance at Rs 3000 per month per family for 12 months;
2. Rs 2000 per month per family as annuity for 20 years, with appropriate index for inflation;
3. If house is lost, a constructed house of plinth area of 150 sq meters of house site in rural areas or 50 sq mts plinth area in urban area;
4. One acre of land to each family in the command area, if land is acquired for an irrigation project;
5. Rs 50,000 for transportation;
6. Where land is acquired for urbanization, 20% of the developed land will be reserved and offered to land owners, in proportion to their land acquired;
7. Upon every transfer of land within 10 years of the date of acquisition, 20% of the appreciated value shall be shared with the original owner whose land has been acquired;
8. Mandatory employment for one member per affected family or 2 lakh rupees if employment is not offered;
9. Offer of shares up to 25% of the Compensation amount

Special Provisions for ST"s
1. One acre of land to each ST family in every project;
2. One time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 for ST families;
3. ST families settled outside the district shall be entitled to an additional 25% R&R benefits (and a one time payment of Rs 50,000) to which they are entitled in monetary terms;
4. Payment of one third of the compensation amount at very outset to ST families;
5. Preference in relocation and resettlement in area in same compact block;
6. Free land for community and social gatherings;
7. In case of displacement of 100 or more ST families, a Tribal Displacement Plan is to be prepared:
-Detailing process to be followed for settling land rights and restoring titles on alienated land;
-Details of programme for development of alternate fuel, fodder and non-timber forest produce.
Continuation of reservation and other benefits from displaced area to resettlement area for both SCs and STs

Also the draft bill has mentioned some 25 basic infrastructural amenities that must be provided in the resettlement area. In this long list some of the important and basic amenities that have been included are:
• Schools and playgrounds
• Health Centres
• Roads and electric connections
• Assured sources of safe drinking water for each family
• Panchayat Ghars
• Anganwadi"s providing child and mother supplemental nutritional services
• Places of worship and burial and/or cremation ground
• Village level Post Offices, as appropriate, with facilities for opening saving accounts
• Fair price shops and seed-cum-fertilizer storage facilities

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