Parliamentary Panel Raises Alarm on Land Acquisition Violations in Tribal Areas

A Parliamentary panel has highlighted violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act in Scheduled Areas. The report emphasizes issues such as undervaluation of land, exclusion of vulnerable groups from consultations, and non-compliance with necessary assessments, stressing the need for proper implementation.

A Parliamentary panel has raised alarm over violations in implementing the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, particularly in India's Scheduled Areas. This comes in a report tabled by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, chaired by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka.

The report underscores serious concerns, including undervaluation of land and inadequacies in Gram Sabha consultations. It points out the exclusions of women and vulnerable groups from these processes, and superficial compliance regarding social and environmental impact assessments. The document also highlights improper issuance of compliance certificates without genuine community engagement.

Issues with the acquisition process extend to violations of the Forest Rights Act, with the report suggesting links between it and the LARR Act to guarantee land and resource rights for forest communities. Furthermore, the committee criticized the National Monitoring Committee's effectiveness in addressing grievances related to large-scale projects like the Ken-Betwa Link, which involve significant ecological and social impacts.

(With inputs from agencies.)