The government has introduced Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The proposed legislation will replace a more than century old Act.

The bill aims at ensuring among other things, a humane, participatory, informed, consultative and transparent process for land acquisition.

The final version of the bill, prepared after pre-legislative consultation with various stakeholders, clearly states that multi-crop irrigated land could be acquired as a last resort measure.

It also proposes to develop an equivalent area of culturable wasteland, if multi-crop land is acquired.

The bill also says only rehabilitation and resettlement provisions will apply when private companies buy land for a project – more than 100 acres in rural areas, or more than 50 acres in urban areas.

Public purpose has been comprehensively defined, so that Government's intervention in acquisition is limited to defence and certain development projects only.