Maha govt to simplify land acquisition for development projects

Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said that to streamline the process of land acquisition for various state government projects and ensure fair compensation for farmers, a new set of regulations will be prepared.

Discussions were held on several issues, including whether farmers could sell their land at a lower price through consent awards under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act.

The meeting, chaired by Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule at the Mantralaya, was attended by Minister of State for Finance and Planning Ashish Jaiswal, former MLA Pasha Patel, and other senior officials.

During the meeting, Minister Ashish Jaiswal raised the point that while private individuals are permitted to purchase land, the government faces challenges in acquiring it.

He also emphasised the need for provisions to allow farmers to sell land at a price lower than the valuation for a specific period if they so desire.

Minister Bawankule directed all divisional commissioners to provide information regarding options for acquiring land at lower costs and the land acquisition laws in four other states (such as Gujarat and Telangana).

Additionally, information on facilities provided in exchange for employment opportunities will also be sought. It was decided in the meeting that if decisions are in the interest of the government, further discussions will be held to draft new regulations. This is expected to accelerate development projects in the state in the future.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Saturday approved a proposal to remove the reservation of a playground on a plot of land in Pachora (Dist Jalgaon) and instead designate it for residential use.

The proposal pertains to Reservation No. 49 – "Playground" – under Survey No. 44/1 in the development plan of Pachora Municipal Council. The municipal council had submitted the proposal to the government on April 5, 2021.

According to a report from the Town Planning Department, the area currently reserved for playgrounds in this ward is adequate, even after removing this specific reservation. Additionally, more than 13 hectares of land in adjacent Ward 1 is already reserved for sports activities. Taking these facts into account, the Cabinet approved the modification to convert the land into a residential zone.

Further, the cabinet gave approval for the disbursement of an ex gratia grant of Rs 50 crore to 1,124 workers from the funds received through the sale of the spinning mill’s land. This has been a long-pending demand of workers of the closed Nagpur Weavers' Cooperative Spinning Mill.

Due to the closure of the spinning mill, the workers have faced numerous hardships. To aid them, a decision to provide a special ex gratia grant from the proceeds of land sale was taken in a meeting held on July 9, 2024, under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief Minister. Based on that decision, today’s proposal was placed and approved.

The spinning mill’s 20.20 acres of land has been sold to Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority at the ready reckoner rate, and the grant funds will be raised from that amount. The distribution of this fund will be carried out through the Directorate of Textiles, Nagpur.

--IANS

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