Consent, social impact clauses to impede land acquisition: CII

Restoring the consent clause and social impact assessment in the Land Bill for infrastructure verticals including affordable housing, rural electrification and industrial corridors will make the process of acquiring land highly "cumbersome and time consuming", CII today said.
"Stipulating mandatory consent requirement and social impact assessment even for core infrastructure verticals like affordable housing, rural electrification and industrial corridors will make the whole process very cumbersome and time consuming," CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said.
Pointing out that the ordinance had brought in the necessary changes and exemptions to the Land Acquisition Act, CII said the industry would have liked to see these going through in the current session of Parliament.

BJP has agreed to retain the key provisions of UPA's land law including the ones on consent clause and social impact assessment and drop controversial amendments brought by the Narendra Modi Government in December last year through an ordinance.
The 2013 Act by the earlier UPA Government had required consent of 70 per cent of landholders for PPP projects, and 80 per cent for private projects. However, the NDA Bill did away with this requirement.
The industry body further said it stands for equitable growth and fair compensation, and is hopeful that state governments will help industry grow and create assets in the right spirit and earnest.

However, Amrapali Group CMD Anil Kumar Sharma said: "Taking a note of the oppositions suggestions and re-including the clauses on social impact assessment and consent are good indicators that government is serious to put an effective framework in function at the earliest.
"To boost the economic growth of the country it is necessary that keeping the interest of all the people in mind this bill should be passed with all required amendments so that without any further delay long standing project can be started.
"By doing so the Central governments Housing for All by 2022 scheme will also get a boost where real estate sector will play a major role. Scope to make future changes in the bill can be kept open for future references," he added.