Odisha withdraws Bill allowing acquisition of irrigated multi-cropped land, and social impact study exemptions

Odisha Government on March 31, 2023, withdrew the Bill to amend Odisha’s 2013 land acquisition law had aimed to streamline the handover of hassle-free land to a range of public infrastructure and industrial projects.

Faced with severe criticism over its proposal to axe the mandatory provision of social impact assessment studies from its land acquisition law, the Odisha Government on March 31 withdrew the amendment Bill.

The Biju Janata Dal government had recently introduced the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Odisha Amendment) Bill 2023 in the State Assembly to hand over hassle-free land to different industrial projects.

The government has not assigned any reason for withdrawal of the Bill.

An exemption from providing social impact assessment (SIA) reports would have been applicable to vital projects concerning national security and defence, public infrastructure such as educational and health institutions, electrification, irrigation and drinking water projects, government and local self-government offices, affordable housing for poor people, industrial corridors, industrial projects, and all linear projects, including State and National Highways, the government stated in its Bill.

According to the statement attached to the Bill, the government, through Make-in-Odisha initiatives, intended to attract private investments in mega projects across sectors to fast-track the process of development of the State. Providing hassle-free land to project proponents under the existing Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 was a major challenge for the State government.

The controversial provision in the amendment Bill, for which the government came under criticism, would have exempted certain projects from the 2013 law’s blanket ban on acquiring irrigated multi-cropped land. The amendment would have also exempted some projects from the 2013 law’s special provision for food security and the provision of lapsing of the SIA study report under Section 14, both of which were found to be causing delays in land acquisition.

In a separate development, the State government also withdrew the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2023.