Haryana Consolidation of Project Land (Special Provisions) Amendment Act, 2024

Why in news:

• The state government of Haryana has passed the Haryana Consolidation of Project Land (Special Provisions) Amendment Act, 2024 which is aimed at streamlining land acquisition and management for state projects.

Key Points:

• The Amendment Act represents a significant legislative change aimed at enhancing the consolidation process of project land in Haryana. This amendment modifies previous provisions to streamline land acquisition and management for state projects, addressing various legal and administrative challenges that have arisen since the original act was enacted.
• The original Haryana Consolidation of Project Land (Special Provisions) Act, 2017 was established to facilitate the consolidation of land necessary for state projects.
• The act allowed the state government or its agencies to consolidate land where they owned or had purchased at least seventy percent of the total project land, thereby addressing issues related to "left out pockets" of private land that could hinder project viability.
• However, subsequent amendments, including the Haryana Consolidation of Project Land (Special Provisions) Amendment Act, 2020, introduced provisions that allowed leased land to be counted towards this seventy percent threshold. This change led to legal disputes and confusion regarding the definition and ownership of project land, prompting the need for further amendments.

Key provisions of the 2024 Amendment

Restoration of original ownership criteria:

• The most significant change in the 2024 amendment is the restoration of the original criterion that only land owned by the state or its agencies can be counted towards the seventy percent requirement for consolidation.
• The amendment removes references to leased land from this calculation, aiming to reduce litigation and clarify ownership issues.

Consolidation process:

• The amendment emphasizes that when seventy percent or more of the project land is owned by the state, it can consolidate remaining private lands to ensure project viability.
• This provision is crucial for large-scale projects where fragmented ownership can lead to delays and increased costs.

Administrative framework:

• The Act designates a competent authority, typically a Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), responsible for overseeing the consolidation process.
• This authority will issue notifications regarding project land and manage communications with private landowners.

Legal clarity and reduction of litigation:

• By clarifying the criteria for consolidation, the amendment aims to minimize legal challenges that have plagued previous attempts at land consolidation under the earlier provisions.
• This is expected to facilitate smoother project implementation and reduce bureaucratic delays.