The Free Press Journal, 5 Jan 2015, New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday came out against criticism of the  amendments to the land acquisition act, made through an ordinance, saying they “balance the

developmental needs of India, particularly rural India” and provides enhanced compensation to the land-owners.

In a Facebook posting, titled “Amendments to the Land Acquisition Law – The Real Picture”, he said that the 2013 Act had “over 50 drafting errors” and the “provision” in the ordinance with regard to rectification of errors “will be used to cure most of them, reports IANS.

“Some are being cured through this ordinance which alters the earlier mandate of the 2013 law that unused land has to be returned five years after the acquisition. The earlier provision was clearly defective”. “Creation of smart cities, townships, industrial corridors, business centres, defence projects, cantonments, ports, nuclear installations, building of highways, irrigation projects, dams have a long gestations period. They cannot be completed in five years.

“If the earlier provision is to be effected, we would be a nation of incomplete projects on account of defective legislative drafting,” he said.

Jaitley said the needs of “a modern growing and developing India need a balanced approach” where “development and justice to the land-owner must coexist. One cannot be done at the cost of the other”.

Web: http://freepressjournal.in/land-acquisition-act-amended-for-better-compensation-jaitley/