Govt projects to undergo social impact assessment

Nashik: The land acquisition department has taken steps to carry out a social impact assessment of the people whose land is likely to be acquired for various government projects like, irrigation projects throughout the district.
The administration has started the procedure to finalise an agency which would carry out the survey of families that are likely to be affected by the projects and identifying the life style status of the families and the impact land acquisition would have on them.
Since the reletively new Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,2014 and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR) were passed, all the provisions of Land Acquisition Act 1984, have ceased to exist. The important clause of the new Act is the assessment of social impact (SIA) on the people whose land has to be acquired for various purposes and this is the first exercise of this kind conducted by the district administration.
"There were more than 450 land acquisition proposals of the various departments which were sent back and they have been asked to re-register them with the collectorate, conforming to the new Act - which also includes the provision of payment as and where required," Ramesh Kale, deputy collector and Land Acquisition Officer, Nashik district said.
The district administration has received eight projects mostly for irrigation use - in Dindori, Nandgaon, Yeola, Chandwad talukas.
"The action on proposals for land acquisition projects has started with an invitation for private agencies would conduct the social impact assessment. The agencies will carry out survey of the families who are likely to be affected with the land acquisition," he said.
The SIA questionnaire - as listed by the Central Government - has more than 40 questions that will attempt to extract details of families including life-style, sources of income, quantity of land, the cultural and family background, literacy levels, the effect on the life of the individual, the health of the individuals, that on the women and the senior citizens, demographic changes, political effect on the life of the villagers - and many more.