In a major policy decision, the State Cabinet has decided to bring in Compensation and Transparency Rights’ Jharkhand Amendment Bill-2017 to modify Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2013, popularly known as land Acquisition Act-2013.
Under the amendment, the Government eyes at removing ‘Social Impact Assessment and Guarantee of livelihood’ part from original Act for paving way for execution of exclusively defined projects of larger public interest, including school, college, university, road, rail and waterways projects, hospital, panchayat building, Anganwadi Kendra, drinking water pipeline, electrification works, and housing for the poor and underprivileged.
The proposed amendment Bill would require the President’s nod before it comes into effect as it is a part of Parliament passed bill.
land Revenue Department Secretary KK Soan said after the cabinet meeting that the proposed amendment Bill will have exclusively defined areas for land acquisition and there will be not at all any addition to it. He also said PESA will remain into existence in Scheduled Areas, where land acquisition would take place only through PESA laws.
However, the proposal is expectedly destined to attract uproar from not only opposition parties, but also from common public, as it could leave a large populace suffering after their land is acquired, opined experts. “If the clauses on Social Impact Assessment are removed it may prove to be making raiyyats more prone and vulnerable to misdeeds by private firms in terms of lack of transparency in assessment of their land and resources they make living from. In the absence of SIA, private firms may complete the survey work as per their need and they will get more room for manoeuvring. The SIA by a third party gives neutral view of the land and resources with the people and more importantly it gives them ample opportunity to seek adequate compensation in lieu of their property,” said Sr R&R professional Vishwesh Koundilya.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to turn Ranchi Industrial Area Development Authority (RIADA) more meaningful and adding teeth to it, the government has decided to constitute a permanent five-member Board of Directors in which Industries and Mines Department Minister would replace Chief Minister as its ex-Officio Chairman accompanied by a Managing Director as Member Secretary, supported by Industries and Mines Department Secretary, Registration and land Reforms Department Secretary, Industries Director and Secretary or Additional Commissioner (Planning cum Finance) as members. The Board will also have three independent directors from industries fraternity nominated by the Industries and Mines Department.
Apart from approving proposal of transferring 2.947 acres of land at the cost of Rs 7.92 crore to a Indian Railways subsidiary DFCCIl for rail project in Koderma and Jainagar blocks of Koderma district, increasing Dearness Allowance (DA) by 4 percent to 136 percent from January this year for those government officials still being paid as per 6th Pay Commission guidelines, the Cabinet also Okayed proposal of appointing Ajit Kumar as Advocate General of the State.
As far as proposals of increment of salaries and compensations is concerned, the Cabinet also passed a Cabinet nod to shed social security cover proposal of increasing salary of retired army personnel recruited as Warden in jails in the State by Rs 5,000 which will take their monthly compensation to Rs 20,000 now. At the same time, the government has also decided to give its employees not under MACP yet to bring under net of ACP.
In a major policy decision, the Cabinet also approved a proposal of starting ITI training institutes in unused Government buildings in as many as 105 blocks of 13 districts. Notably, having at least one ITI in each block of State has been one of the priorities of Government which is investing huge in skill developments.