Maharashtra fast-tracks infra projects

Villagers eager to offer their land as compensation is five times market price; govt also assures jobs or Rs 5 lakh to affected persons

The Maharashtra government has fast-tracked key infrastructure projects worth Rs 50,000 crore, most of them in rural areas, on the back of good response from project-affected persons (PAPs) to its revised land acquisition policy. These projects include the Rs 30,000-crore Mumbai-Nagpur super communication expressway, the Rs 4,000-crore expansion of Mumbai-Goa national highway, and the Rs 2,900-crore Ahmednagar-Beed-Vaijnath railway line.

The state government, which has framed its rules under the Centre's Land Acquisition Act, acquires land through negotiation, offers five times the ready-reckoner rates (RR rates or market price), and provides jobs or one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakh to PAPs.

Besides, the government has delegated powers to district collectors to acquire 10,000 hectares of land from the earlier 500 hectares. Committees headed by the respective district collector have been formed in all 36 districts to fix the land price and the compensation to be paid to PAPs.

A senior official, who did not wish to be named, told Business Standard: "The government aims to acquire land through negotiation and land owners are responding well. For the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, the process to acquire 9,000 hectares has started. Ditto for 2,500 hectares for the expansion of Mumbai-Goa national highway. For the 261.5-km Ahmednagar-Beed-Vaijnath railway line, we'll need 1,650 hectares; out of which, 1,250 hectares of land have been acquired."

The official added that Maharashtra's modified land acquisition policy has been sought by the Centre and Gujarat in particular to study. Explaining the state government's policy, he said that for a land parcel worth Rs 100, the land owner will get Rs 400 and Rs 100 as additional 25 per cent compensation in rural areas. That means, the land owner will get five times more compensation than market rates. In urban areas, a land owner will get double the compensation and if the land is purchased with open negotiations, he will get two-and-a-half times compensation than that of the RR rate.

Congress leader Manikrao Jagtap, who comes from the coastal Raigad district, said villagers are now eager to give their land for various projects in view of the increased compensation. "For example, if for a guntha (around 1,090 sq ft) of land, the owner gets Rs 30 lakh against Rs 6 lakh, he is willing to provide land."

In case of land acquisition for industrial projects, the state-run Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is carrying it through negotiations and higher compensation is paid.

"MIDC acquires land under the MIDC Act, 1961, which gives it the flexibility to buy land through bilateral negotiations. The corporation pays farmers three-to-four times the price of land as monetary compensation as well as 15 per cent of the developed land. Recently, land was acquired at Rs 1.5 crore per hectare in the Talegaon-Chakan area in Pune district," said an MIDC official.

The government official cited above said Gujarat recently passed its law, which is aimed at smooth land acquisition procedure. The Gujarat Act empowers the state government to exempt certain projects from the social impact assessment or consent clauses as incorporated in the central Act. These include projects vital to national security, rural infrastructure including electrification, affordable housing and housing for the poor, industrial corridors set up by the state government and its undertakings, and infrastructure projects under public-private partnership.

Madhya Pradesh's land policy also envisages acquisition by consent.

A BIG PUSH

• Most of the projects are in rural areas
   
• These projects include the Rs 30,000-crore Mumbai-Nagpur super communication expressway, the Rs 4,000-crore expansion of Mumbai-Goa national highway and the Rs 2,900-crore Ahmednagar-Beed-Vaijnath railway line
  

 

The government has delegated powers to district collectors to acquire 10,000 hectares of land from the earlier 500 hectares
 

Committees headed by the respective district collector have been formed in all 36 districts to fix the land price and the compensation to be paid to PAPs