Amend Land Acquisition Act: DIPP

Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) advocated the need to amend the existing Land Acquisition Act since in its present form acquiring land for construction of roads, ports and creating other such infrastructure has become virtually impossible.

Addressing the Managing Committee Members of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Kant confessed that the land acquisition for roads, ports and similar other economic activities has not been happening ever since the new Land Acquisition Act came into being.

A number of road and port projects were stuck up on account of the Act and there was an urgent need to fast track road and port projects which could be possible when necessary amendments are made to it, he said.

Mr. Kant lamented that on account of proto type laws, India's manufacturing has suffered so much that it virtually bottomed out last year and fell to negative zone this year and thus, argued that India until brings about another revolution of 1991 nature, her manufacturing as well as exports would continue to suffer and hamper its economy to ride on an intended growth rate of 9 to10 per cent consecutively for a period of three decades.

This growth rate was necessary to let move India on a growth path that can help it create employment, demand and industrial activities, he explained.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Aril Swarup, Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat disclosed that the projects monitoring group has so far cleared of as many as 152 mega projects with an approximate investments of Rs.5.3 lakh crores and many such other projects are in the pipeline for final clearances.

According to him, the environment and forest ministry has agreed to entertain and accept online applications of mega industrial projects for according environment clearances from 1st of July 2014. Thus, industry would be able to move its applications, seeking environmental and forests clearances online, reflections of which would follow on the portal created by the Cabinet Secretariat on latest status of industrial approvals, which any stake holders including governmental agencies can access, pointed out Mr. Swarup.

Even the Ministry of Mines has concurred for this kind of proposal to provide for mining clearances and with due diligence, he added.

Mr. Sharad Jaipuria, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the measures announced by Mr. Kant and Mr. Swarup for facilitating faster clearances for pending projects, especially the initiative of the environment and forest ministry to entertain online applications of industry for environment and forest clearances.

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