The contentious Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Bill, which got the Union Cabinet’s approval last week, may not be completely in line with the recommendations of the Sumitra Mahajan-led standing committee on rural development or the original draft of 2011, but seeks to give greater rights to original land owners.

The revised Bill stipulates the original land owners a 40% share in the appreciated land value as opposed to 20% earlier, besides allowing the return of unutilised land to either the land bank or the original land owner. This is in contrast to the provision in the earlier draft of the Bill that required the unused land to be returned to the land bank only.