It’s your land

In the past few years the issue of land acquisition has become particularly sensitive politically. This can be gauged from Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to engage with the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill. This climate of political fearfulness is unfortunate not just because it threatens to hold up so many public works. It also impedes measures,like this legislation,that would reform current procedures to the benefit of those being dispossessed of their real estate. This is why Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath’s proposal for incremental change in land acquisition procedures is intriguing. It could provide the kind of incremental change,that too only in matters pertaining to the National Highways Authority of India,that can break the current stalemate.

In the course of an Idea Exchange at The Indian Express,Nath said if the NHAI fails to begin work on a proposed road project for five years,all the land acquired for the purpose would revert to the original owner,without requiring him to pay for it. Having set an ambitious target of completing 7000 km annually,he needs to lay out as many incentives as possible for the NHAI to get about its task speedily. But the proposal also addresses a widely held misgiving,that land acquired for a said purpose is not always used so. For the kind of work undertaken by the NHAI this incentive to complete the task,or else,could easily win over public support. Road projects require relatively slim slivers of land,and new or upgraded roads inevitably bring benefits locally and also result in rapid appreciation.

However,for this kind of reform to be a game-changer across sectors,more needs to be done. Delays in projects are not always a factor simply of inactivity. Doing business in India is too often an obstacle course of clearances,permits,etc. Even in road building,getting the Centre and assorted state governments on the same page is not that simple. Therefore the kind of impatience to achieve targets that runs through Nath’s land acquisition proposal must also inform an appraisal of the assorted requirements that too often and too long hold up projects in this country.