-The Economic Times Special Economic Zones will need to fulfill provisions of the proposed land acquisition and rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, if the rural development ministry has its way.  The draft bill, currently being circulated for inter-ministerial consultation, does not exempt land acquired under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, Works of Defence Act, 1903, and Cantonments Act, 2006, from adhering to the acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement provisions of the proposed legislation.  Acquisition...

-The Telegraph Acquiring land for special economic zones may become tougher. The rural development ministry has redrafted the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Bill with a provision that says the proposed law would apply to land acquisition under the Special Economic Zone Act, 2005. This means if the redrafted bill is passed, landlosers will have to be consulted and their consent taken before their land can be acquired under the SEZ Act,...

-The Hindustan Times To maintain a fine balance between allies’ pressure and investors’ sentiments, the UPA government will let states decide their own limits on acquiring land for private projects. In its ambitious Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, the Centre has bypassed recommendations of a parliamentary panel and will give states the power to fix their own ceilings. The draft bill prepared by UPA-1 ran into a hurdle over the...

-The Telegraph The Bengal government’s hands-off stand on land has found its way into its PPP policy, the public-private partnership mantra that was supposed to neutralise adversities and make the state attractive for investors. The new triple-P policy, notified by the state finance department on June 21, makes it clear the state government cannot acquire land for private investors even if they are willing to partner the state in its pet projects. The...

-The Telegraph The National Advisory Council is expected to soon release a 35-page document detailing the subjects it took up with the UPA II government and the “success” it achieved with these. The document will also outline the council’s future agenda. Sources in the council, headed by Sonia Gandhi, said the report was ready and merely needed to be ratified by all the members. The endorsement might come as early as tomorrow...