Kerala Govt Issues Guidelines for Land Procurement for Public Projects

Speedy Summary

• The State government has released guidelines for land procurement for public purposes through negotiated purchase.
• These measures aim to simplify acquisition procedures, reduce project delays and costs, and limit litigation over compensation.
• Departments must submit applications to the District Collector with survey details, extent required, and alignment sketches.
• for projects spanning multiple districts, applications are directed to the district Collector overseeing the majority of the project area.
• A district-level purchase commitee (DLPC) will be formed in each district for land categorization and valuation purposes.
• Price escalation up to 50% over basic land value is allowable; increases beyond this must be justified with sound reasoning documented in writng.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The newly issued guidelines enhance clarity and procedural efficiency in land acquisitions for public use across India. By involving a district-level purchase committee (DLPC) with input from local collectors on valuation specifics such as title verification or possession certifications, these measures seem well-tailored to mitigate disputes while accelerating critical infrastructure growth timelines. however, provisions like price escalation-possibly exceeding 50%, based on merit-might require close monitoring to prevent misuse or inflated valuations affecting expenditure on public projects overall.

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