Land Acquisition Act 2013 — Set 10

Correct Answer: B. 1894 Act provided 30% solatium; 2013 Act also provides 30% solatium but on a much higher base compensation

Both the Land Acquisition Act 1894 and the LARR Act 2013 provide for 30% solatium on top of compensation. However, since the base compensation under the 2013 Act is 2x-4x the market value (compared to 1x under the 1894 Act), the effective solatium amount is correspondingly much higher. Thus, even though the solatium percentage is the same (30%), the actual amount paid to affected landowners is dramatically higher under the 2013 Act.

Correct Answer: B. Women headed households must be included in R&R lists; employment preference for adult women in the family

The LARR Act 2013 contains gender-sensitive provisions in its R&R framework. Women-headed households must be specifically identified and included in the R&R scheme. Employment in the project must be offered to adult women or male dependents of the affected family. The housing entitlement is in the name of the female head of household or jointly with male head. These provisions reflect a gender-just approach to land acquisition and resettlement.

Correct Answer: C. Monitors implementation of R&R scheme at sub-district level

The LARR Act 2013 provides for setting up a Sub-District Level Committee at the Tehsil/Taluka level to monitor the day-to-day implementation of the R&R scheme. This committee oversees the actual delivery of R&R entitlements, resolves implementation-level grievances, and reports to the Administrator for R&R. It serves as the ground-level mechanism to ensure that the benefits of the Act reach the intended beneficiaries.

Correct Answer: B. A policy framework that preceded and informed the R&R provisions of the 2013 Act

The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 2007 (NRRP 2007) was a policy framework established by the UPA government that preceded the LARR Act 2013. The NRRP 2007 established principles of fair compensation and resettlement, but since it was merely a policy and not a law, it was not legally enforceable. The LARR Act 2013 converted these policy principles into legally binding entitlements, representing a major advancement in protecting displaced persons' rights.

Correct Answer: B. Acquisition is permanent taking of land; requisition is temporary use with eventual return to owner

Land acquisition under the LARR Act 2013 involves the permanent transfer of ownership of land from private owners to the government, with payment of compensation. Requisition, on the other hand, is temporary use of private land for a specified period, after which the land is returned. Different laws govern requisition (like the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952). The LARR Act 2013 deals exclusively with permanent acquisition, not temporary requisition.

Correct Answer: B. An additional 75% of the market value is paid over and above normal compensation

When land is acquired under the urgency clause of the LARR Act 2013, affected persons are entitled to an additional 75% of the market value over and above the normal compensation. This urgency premium recognizes that in emergency acquisitions, landowners have no opportunity to negotiate or plan alternative arrangements, and the higher payment compensates for this disadvantage. This urgency premium was not present in the 1894 Act.

Correct Answer: B. Supervises the Administrator, hears appeals on R&R, and reports to the State Government

Section 44 of the LARR Act 2013 provides for appointment of a Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Resettlement at the state or division level. The Commissioner supervises the Administrators for R&R, hears appeals on R&R entitlements, monitors implementation, and submits periodic reports to the State Government. This senior-level oversight ensures that R&R obligations are treated seriously and not left as mere formalities after land acquisition.

Correct Answer: B. Not more than 5% of cultivable land in a district without special justification

While the LARR Act 2013 does not impose an absolute ceiling, Section 10(2) requires that acquisition of multi-crop irrigated agricultural land must be restricted to a minimum, and typically not more than 5% of irrigable area of a district should be acquired without special approval. This limitation was intended to protect food security by preventing wholesale acquisition of productive agricultural land. The state government must justify any acquisition exceeding this threshold.

Correct Answer: B. Within 6 months of the beginning of the SIA process

The LARR Act 2013 requires that a detailed census-cum-survey of all affected families in the acquisition zone be completed as an integral part of the SIA process, within the 6-month SIA period. The census must document each family's name, composition, livelihood, landholding, and nature of impact. This data forms the basis of the R&R scheme and ensures no affected family is left out of the entitlement list.

Correct Answer: B. It balances development needs with fair compensation, human rights, and livelihood protection for displaced communities

The LARR Act 2013 represents a historic reform that attempts to balance India's infrastructure and development needs with the human rights and livelihood security of displaced communities. By introducing consent requirements, mandatory SIA, comprehensive R&R, and high compensation multipliers, it moves beyond the colonial approach of prioritizing development at the cost of the displaced. The Act remains a landmark legislation for land rights in India, though its implementation has faced challenges in balancing competing interests.