Nagpur: A draft amendment to the land acquisition law aimed at building a mutual consent framework will be submitted to CM Devendra Fadnavis this week before being placed in the public domain for suggestions.
The third part rests on Section 107, which lets a landowner accept a better state offer.
Minister of state for relief and rehabilitation Ashish Jaiswal said the law and judiciary department had cleared both routes. The options include a tripartite lease among govt, farmers and industrialists, he said. The first part of the draft, a proposed Section 23A, has been sent to revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The second part is about a land bank, under which govt would buy land from willing sellers across Maharashtra and later transfer it to industry, as the law allows acquisition only for a public purpose.
An Aug 4 GR gives project-affected status and 5% job reservation to those selling land to govt.
“Opposition parties earlier took land for one-time payment and now are instigating citizens that they should not give up their land for projects,” Jaiswal said. Jaiswal said that under an award by mutual consent, govt cannot compel a landowner to take five times the land value. An industry representative at the event told Jaiswal that small units needing two or five acres find no land with MIDC and suggested a separate MIDC for MSMEs. Jaiswal also said that with a lease, the project cost comes down significantly for industries. On stalled acquisition in Nagpur district and Gadchiroli, Jaiswal, co-guardian minister of Gadchiroli, said he had put it on hold.
Jaiswal reiterated that these are mere proposals and that the CM is yet to take a call. But he added that the proposed amendments are the best route to growth and jobs. Speaking to industry representatives at a private event in Nagpur on Friday, Jaiswal said that the land acquisition process is one of the biggest obstacles faced by industrialists.