An Elaborative Study on the “Social Impact Assessment” under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act or RFCTLARR Act, 2013 can be considered as a silver lining in the dark cloud as it replaces the colonial Land Acquisition Act, 1894. It has sought to address the long standing popular discontent over perceived arbitrariness of state action in land acquisition matters by making arrangements to strike a deal with affected communities or engaging them in the process to meet the provision of social impact assessment (SIA). It was the need of the hour to make the process of land acquisition more humane and transparent. The new Act if implemented in true letter and spirit will certainly put an end to forcible acquisitions. It will reaffirm the faith of landowners that they would not be displaced haphazardly and their right to compensation and rehabilitation will be taken care of RFCTLARR Act is a step in the right direction as it reduces the arbitrary power of the government and suggests setting up of independent expert panels as well as conducting social impact assessment for projects serving public purpose. The paper aims to examine the Social Impact Assessment study under the new Act along with the loopholes and suggest remedial measures.