GUWAHATI: The Assam Governor has issued amendments to the policy governing "Land Acquisition through Direct Purchase by way of negotiated Settlement for all Departments in the State of Assam." The amendments, aimed at streamlining and improving the land acquisition process, were officially published in the Assam Gazette.
The amended policy, which supersedes the previous version dated March 7, 2022, introduces changes across various aspects of the land acquisition process. The waiting period for landowners to submit objections concerning land interest and ownership has been extended to 15 days.
The revised policy allows for quicker and simpler valuation of immovable assets linked to the land. This will be based on typical categories of assets attached to the land, with their valuation calculated proportionally to guidance prices and adjusted for depreciation.
Registration fees under the Indian Registration Act 1908, pertaining to instruments executed on behalf of the Government for land acquisition through direct purchase via a negotiated settlement, will be exempted.
In cases where government structures or buildings stand on government land, a value assessment with 100 per cent solatium will be applied. The payment will be made in favour of the relevant department owning the structure.
The requisitioning department will bear the cost of salvaging materials, and where necessary, auction them. Individuals occupying government land for a minimum of five years will receive zirat value (surface compensation) without solatium.
The administrative (establishment/contingency) cost for land acquisition through direct purchase by way of negotiated settlement will be fixed at either 0.5 per cent of the land acquisition cost or ₹2.0 lakh per project, whichever is higher.
The multiplication factor, based on the distance from the nearest urban area, has been revised. It ranges from 1.2 for distances up to 10 km, to 2.0 for distances exceeding 40 km. The definition of "urban area" has also been updated in accordance with recent notifications.
This amended policy comes into immediate effect, signalling a renewed approach to land acquisition procedures in Assam.
