New Delhi The Parliament's standing committee on rural development has recommended a widening of the ambit of the Land Acquisition Bill, 2011, to include highways, nuclear plants, mines and special economic zones (SEZ).

Since much of the land acquisition for public purpose under the proposed law expected in mining, power and other infrastructure sectors, these exemptions needed to be removed, the committee felt.

New Delhi The country will not get a new law to change the rules for land acquisition for industry any time soon. The Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill is unlikely to be cleared in the winter session of Parliament despite rural development minister Jairam Ramesh’s assurances as the principal Opposition party, BJP, is refusing to hurry the legislative process.

The passage of the Bill is crucial for Congress fortunes in Uttar Pradesh, where elections are around the corner.

This is one reform measure that is coming back to haunt the UPA government. Since potash and phosphatic fertilisers were decontrolled at the beginning of last fiscal, their prices have skyrocketed, raising concerns in the Planning Commission over the likely impact of higher input costs on farm GDP and food inflation. The Commission has conveyed its concerns to the Prime Minister’s Office, prompting second thoughts among policymakers on the timing of decontrol of urea, the most commonly used fertiliser.

New Delhi After land acquisition and food security, the National Advisory Council (NAC) has set its sights farther, this time to monitor programme implementation at panchayats.

New Delhi The National Advisory Council (NAC) has run into a problem with its land acquisition proposal. The Council has realised that land acquisition being a state subject, the Centre cannot play more than an advisory role in the entire process.

This means the elaborate proposal drawn up by the NAC will be of no use unless each state agrees to it.

As much as 26% equity in mines would be disbursed to those displaced by mining activity as the group of ministers deliberating on the draft Mines and Mineral (Development) and Regulation Bill (MMDR) approved of it on Friday.

The GoM has suggested that the ministry move an Ordinance for setting up a regulatory authority in the Cabinet soon.