The national policy on resettlement and rehabilitation for Project Affected Families 2003, framed by the National Democratic Alliance government in February 2004, was a wasted effort. A two-decade long process that started in 1985 concluded with a whimper, until the United Progressive Alliance government's National Advisory Council (nac) came up with a fresh draft policy in December 2005.

A leap ahead Although the draft is a positive step and is much better than its predecessors (see