Panaji: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, to exempt specified categories of projects linked to national security and food security from certain requirements while acquiring land under the Act.The exempted categories include projects for defence preparedness or defence production; rural infrastructure, including irrigation and electrification; affordable housing and housing for poor people; and industrial areas or industrial estates set up by state govt or its undertakings.Also covered are industrial corridors set up by state govt or its undertakings. In such cases, land may be acquired up to one kilometre on both sides of designated railway lines or roads for the corridor. Infrastructure projects — including public-private partnership projects where ownership of the land continues to vest with govt — are also included in the exemption list.To give effect to these changes, state govt will introduce the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the monsoon assembly session.The cabinet reiterated that the main objective of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (Central Act 30 of 2013) is to ensure that land acquisition for public purposes is fair, transparent, participative and humane, while protecting the interests of landowners and other affected families.The Act emphasises consultation with local self-govt institutions and gram sabhas, minimum disturbance to affected people, fair compensation, and rehabilitation and resettlement.The 2013 Act came into force on Jan 1, 2014. Subsequently, Goa — exercising powers under Section 107 of the Act — framed the Policy on Procurement of Land Under Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 for direct procurement of land to set up public purposes projects on priority basis, which came into force on May 30, 2016.The Goa Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Rules, 2019 came into force on July 18, 2019.Since the Act came into force, all land required for public purposes in the state has been procured through the policy on procurement, wherever feasible, with the consent of landowners.
