Rural Devp Min to ask states to release land to investors

In a bid to allay fears of the industry on the new land acquisition law, Rural Development Ministry has decided to ask state governments to release land to investors for uninterrupted industrial and urbanisation processes.
Observing that the government was the biggest squatter on land, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said there was no way he can impose a law in this regard but when the rules and guidelines of the new legislation are prepared, it would certainly be made part of it.
"My assessment is that most state governments have adequate lands for them to release for industrialisation. They are actually squatting on the land. Government is the largest squatter of the land. There is no way I can impose the law... But certainly it would be part of the guidelines," he told industrialists at a function organised by CII.

He remarks came when investors said certain provisions in the new legislation will lead to industrial slowdown in the country and to prevent such a situation steps should be taken to allow private industries to acquire the land available with the land bank of state governments.
Ramesh said that the new land acquisition law would be notified by early next year after framing of rules and guidelines.
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013, passed by the Parliament during Monsoon Session, has already received the assent of the President.
Ramesh said the ministry would very soon put in the public domain the state-wise and district-wise wasteland maps and it would make it clear that how much of unused land is available in a particular state.