-Live Mint Bill will be put before cabinet in next few weeks; legislation is expected to address rehabilitation, resettlement  New Delhi: The government moved a step closer to put in place a new land acquisition policy, after a ministerial panel overcame differences and struck a compromise. The Bill will now be put before the Union cabinet for its approval in the next few weeks. If indeed the government sticks to the proposed...

-The Indian Express The group of ministers (GoM) headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today cleared the much-delayed Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Bill, after approving some relaxations which addressed the concerns expressed by several ministries. “The Bill is finalised. We have finalised the draft. Each and every issue on which there were different views, we succeeded in bringing some understanding,” Pawar told reporters after the meeting. Sources said the minutes of...

-The Indian Express Giving a pointer to the much-awaited Bill on land acquisition reforms, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the government will not dilute the provisions which restrict the acquisition of multi-crop and single crop agricultural land for non-farming purposes. “We will ensure that acquisition of high-yielding farmland is not allowed for non-agriculture purposes. This is a serious issue and the government is concerned about it. One should not be...

-Live Mint He is at the head of a march to Delhi for a new policy that promises every poor family a small patch of land Morena (Madhya Pradesh): One hot Friday in October, a 64-year-old man named P.V. Rajagopal is marching at the head of a procession of around 50,000 people on the highway from Gwalior to Delhi.   Rajagopal is slight and heavily sunburnt, and has walked tens of thousands of kilometres...

-PTI The government should only in exceptional cases permit acquisition of farm land for non- agriculture purposes like setting up of industries and housing projects, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday. Mr. Pawar, who heads the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Land acquisition bill, said there is a pressure on farm land because of rising population. He said the government would ensure agricultural land having high yields is not allowed for...