Land Records and Land Reform in India
Land Acquisition: From 1894 to 2013
Compulsory purchase by the state for public purposes has been controversial, and the 2013 Act tightened consent and compensation.
When the state takes land.
Old law
An 1894 colonial law allowed acquisition with little compensation.
2013 Act
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act required higher compensation and consent in some cases.
Impact
Projects slowed, and industry called it a barrier.
States
Several states have their own routes to acquire land, such as land pooling.
A highway project
Landowners are paid several times the market value and offered resettlement.
Ignoring the trade-off between speed and fairness
Both matter.
Key takeaways
- The 1894 law was replaced in 2013.
- Compensation increased.
- Consent rules slowed projects.
- States use land pooling.
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