Karnataka clears land hurdles for infra projects to take off smoothly

BENGALURU: Critical infrastructure projects in sectors such as road, railway, airport and power stuck for want of small parcels of land can not hope to progress with the State Government providing for direct purchase, and exempting such transactions from the rehabilitation & resettlement (R&R)” requirement.

The public private partnership (PPP) projects too will stand to benefit, though the May 31 government order, does not mention that explicitly. “This order is applicable to all projects that are public purpose in nature, and where government has invested. By definition, even PPP projects qualify,” a senior Revenue department official told ET.

Infrastructure Minister R.Roshan Baig described it as a progressive step. “When it comes to infrastructure projects we usually wake up late. But we cannot afford to do that anymore,” he told ET.

A number of railway projects had been stuck across Karnataka due to the hurdles thrown up by the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. “Some of these projects are unable to get hold of land -- in some cases, even as small as 20 guntas. If the Railways were to go by the provisions of the Act, then it can take about two years to comply with requirements like environment impact assessment, and R&R,” a Revenue official explained.

A government agency now can buy up to 100 acres of land from a landowner, and a committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of the district will advise on the price.