Assam Govt preparing separate Land Acquisition Bill: Gogoi

Guwahati, Jan 21: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday said his government is drafting a new Land Acquisition Bill for the state as he would not implement the Central Act that was recently amended through an Ordinance.

"We are preparing a new Land Acquisition Bill. I said it earlier also and today I am again saying that we are not going to implement the amended Act by the Centre," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters here.

When asked if the Bill will be introduced in the forthcoming Budget session of the state Assembly, Gogoi said "I do not know if we will be ready with the Bill by then or not as the Budget session is in next month. But we'll definitely introduce it in Assam."

On January 9, Gogoi had strongly opposed the Centre's decision to amend the 'Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013' through an Ordinance and had said his government would not implement it as it was against the interests of farmers.

Gogoi said the NDA government had diluted the clauses related to compensation and rehabilitation of displaced people to the benefit of the "big industries".

"We also need industry in Assam. We are inviting people to invest in the state. But it will not be at the cost of farmers," he added.

PTI