Question : USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND BY INDUSTRIES

(a) whether the Government proposes to fix any time-limit for setting up of industries on the agricultural land which has been acquired but lying vacant for a long period;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to transfer such land to the farmers in case these land are not utilised for the industrial purpose within the proposed time-limit;

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) the criteria fixed by the Government regarding allotment of unfertile/cultivable land for industrial purpose to ensure industrial development of the country without disturbing sectoral balance?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA)

(a) to (d): The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy (NRRP), 2007 inter-alia, provides the time limit for setting up of industries on acquired land. As per this policy, if land compulsorily acquired for a project or part thereof, remains unutilized for the project for a period of five years from the date of taking over the possession by the requiring body, the same shall revert to the possession and ownership of the appropriate Government without payment of any compensation or remuneration to the requiring body. (Section 6.24.2).

(e): The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy (NRRP) 2007 also prescribes the guidelines that only the minimum area of land commensurate with the purposes of the project may be acquired and as far as possible projects may be set up on waste land, degraded land or un-irrigated land. It further provides that “acquisition of agricultural land for non-agricultural use in the project may be kept to the minimum; multi-cropped land may be avoided to the extent possible for such purposes and acquisition of irrigated land, if unavoidable, may be kept to the minimum”(Section 1.4).