THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod for the resettlement and rehabilitation package for land acquisitions in the state, Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has said. Under this, land donors who have an annual income less than `75,000 will be given five cents of habitable land. One member of each family that releases land for employment-oriented projects will be given a job. Those who lose their homes will be given rent of Rs 5,000 up to at least six months until they are paid the compensation amount. If land owners are interested, they will be issued shares if the project for which the land acquired is a development project. Small shopkeepers who lose their establishments will be given priority in shopping complexes of the local bodies. If a landowner loses half his plot in acquisition, the government will take over the remaining half too if the landowner is interested. People who lose their entire land will be given due compensation or land near the project area. The latter proposal will benefit landowners as land prices are bound to go up in view of the project. The package demands that a high-level committee is formed with the Chief Secretary as its head. Before acquisition, the committee has to approve the detailed report regarding the land. If the land is not used for the purpose it was acquired in the first place, it will revert to the Revenue Department and will be used for other public purposes. Shifting charge, in addition to rent, will be provided to landowners evicted for road projects. Although land acquisition for national highway development is subject to the NH Act, the benefits of the rehabilitation package will be available to the evictees, Radhakrishnan said.
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