New Delhi: The Land Acquisition Pre-settlement and Rehabilitation Bill 2011 suggests that under no circumstances should multi-cropped, irrigated land be acquired. The government put the Land Acquisition Pre-settlement and Rehabilitation Bill 2011 in public domain on Friday. The draft bill is now available on the Press Information Bureau website.

The draft bill also says that the government can acquire land only for public purpose and that the land acquired for public purpose requires consultation and not consensus. It says that if land is acquired for any other purpose than public purpose, a consensus of 80 per cent affected people is required.

It says that land acquisition must take place in a manner that fully protects the interest of the land owner and also of those whose livelihood depends on the land.

Stressing on the importance of infrastructure, the bill says urbanization is inevitable and that industrialization has to accelerate.

The draft bill seeks to balance the need for facilitated land acquisition for various public purposes while at the same time addressing the concern of farmers and the landless.

It also states that the new land law will be in compliance with all existing laws on tribal welfare.