New Land Acquisition a blessing in disguise, says Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: New land acquisition law has proved to be a blessing in disguise paving the way for faster acquisition of land for highway projects, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

Contrary to the belief, the new law will prove a success story for projects, Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Gadkari said while addressing the India Investment Summit here.

"The new land acquisition law has proved to be a blessing in disguise. Now in rural areas, farmers are getting four times the compensation of their actual cost of land and in urban areas it is two times," the minister said.

This has encouraged farmers and they are readily making available their land for highway projects, he said.

Even farmers who had parted with their land for highway projects are to get enhanced compensation under the new land acquisition law in case they are yet to be compensated under the old legislation.

The move will lead to rolling out projects worth crore of rupees embroiled in about 2,000 cases.

"The Ministry has directed NHAI, NHIDCL and others to enhance compensation to farmers as per provisions of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, (RFCTLARR Act) 2013 in cases were award was fixed as per old law but compensation has not been paid to land owners," an official had told PTI.

Gadkari said that the hybrid annuity mode of highways building was also set to enhance road building in the country as the government was not only providing 40 per cent grants in aid but was offering projects after at least 80 per cent land acquisition and all necessary regulatory clearances.

He said government will award 28 projects on hybrid mode before March of which 4 have already been awarded.

Gadkari said his target was to take the road building capacity to 100 km a day and his Ministry was addressing all issues including lack of availability of sand.

He said highways sector will contribute at least 50 per cent to the GDP and together with shipping will generate at least 50 lakh employment.