As the
land acquisition for industrial and public purposes remains a contentious
issue, ASSOCHAM President Rajkumar N Dhoot has said that recommendations of the
Ashok Chawla Committee on Natural Resources should be implemented to ensure
transparency in maintaining land records and using part of notional gains by
the land acquirer for public welfare.
Dhoot said
land is a sensitive and sentimental issue for the farmers. On the other hand,
for economic growth and removal of poverty, India has to go in for a planned
urbanisation. For this, land is a crucial requirement. Some of the
models adopted by the states like Haryana have been successful. There is no forceful
acquisition of land but it is acquired with their consent.
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| Rajkumar N Dhoot |
Farmers
would agree for parting with their land if they too gain from the development
process, he said.
In its
report submitted to the government in May, 2011, the Chawla Committee had made
some useful recommendations which, if implemented, can resolve several of the
knotty problems confronting the whole issue of land acquisition.
“The
bottomline should be: win/win situation for the acquirer as also the farmers
who is parting with the land,” Dhoot said.
One of the
most contentious issues relates to the quantum of compensation paid to the
farmers. This arises out of a wide difference between the market price of land
and the value which is shown in the government records, known as ‘Schedule of
Rates’ (SoRs). The SoRs form the basis for giving compensation to farmers.
As per the
committee’s recommendation, there should be regular updating of SoRs in line
with the corresponding market rates. “Once the gap between the market rates and
the SoRs is brought to a minimum, there would be less pressure for allotment of
land at the so-called institutional rates.
The
committee made an important recommendation regarding transparency in land data.
The records should include the complete ownership details, areas allotted and
possible land uses along with the actual status as regards utilization and
encroachments . There should also be use of satellite images and Geographic
Information System (GIS) mapping for ensuring a transparent and
efficient public land management. “This is one of the key takeaways from the
Chawla Committee and should be implemented,” the ASSOCHAM President said.
Yet
another recommendation of the panel was that the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) should
be relaxed to ensure maximum FAR. This would allow the most optimum land use.
The
ASSOCHAM would also stress upon implementing a suggestion that there should be
a high level oversight organ for ensuring regular monitoring of all cases of
land alienation by the Central Government organizations. There should also be a
Central Depository of Land records. “This would ensure accountability and
transparency in alienation of public land assets”.
So far as
the national capital of Delhi is concerned, the Chawla panel suggested an
immediate constitution of a regulary body. “We are all for implementation of
this important suggestion. This would also bring transparency in the housing
sector. The monitoring and oversight functions of the Delhi Development
Authority (DDA), which functions under the administrative control of the Union
Urban Development Ministry, should be taken over and given to the regulatory
body.
“The DDA
should only focus on building houses, especially for the weaker and middle
segments of the population in the capital city, “the chamber said.
