-Live Mint The much-awaited land acquisition Bill seems to be in jeopardy with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government rejecting a parliamentary standing committee’s suggestion the government should not acquire land for public-private-partnership (PPP) projects. But it has accepted that land procured for special economic zones (SEZs) and some defence projects cannot be exempted from the purview of a land acquisition Bill and promised to amend other laws pertaining to purchase...

-The Hindu The Supreme Court on Tuesday suggested that State governments and political parties be made accountable for the damage caused to public property during violent agitations. “The State governments can be asked to first pay for the damage caused to property and then recover it from the sponsors of such agitations, while the political parties initiating or sponsoring such violent stirs could be de-recognised,” observed a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi...

-The Times of India The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre whether political parties should be de-recognized calling for blockade of rail and road as part of their agitation which severely disrupted lives of ordinary citizens and movement of essential items, including foodgrains. A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya posed this question to solicitor general R F Nariman as soon as he presented the Centre's suggestions...

-The Times of India If the Cabinet approves the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012, then squatters too will have to be given rehabilitation and resettlement packages if the land they occupy is acquired. Squatters will need to show that they have been working/living in the affected area for three years to be eligible for compensation. Infrastructure ministries are irked at this inclusion, especially the short eligibility period of three...

-The Times of India With award of highway projects slowing down due to bad market sentiment, the government is banking on rolling out about 3,000-4,000 km highway projects with 100% financial support.  The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which has identified these stretches, is likely to spend about Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000 crore (including land acquisition expenses) in the next two years.  Industry insiders said that this could save the day for the...