Policy of the State of Kerala for compensation in land acquisition
The state government approved the rules for the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, which is regarded as a major shot in the arm to several development projects that were stalled in the name of land acquisition. As per the rules, the consent of the owners is needed before land is acquired for any purpose. Moreover, the rules specify that the owners will get a higher compensation than what is laid down under the Centre government’s law. The aim behind providing reasonable compensation is to dissuade the land owners from approaching the courts to claim compensation. The provision of social impact assessment is another important aspect in the rules. According to the rules, the compensation will be paid before land is acquired. It also calls for implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement programmes, including infrastructure amenities within 18 months of the date of publication of the notification.