VADODARA: Awarding handsome compensation for land acquired by a civic body or government would otherwise be considered a good gesture, but in Vadodara a major row has erupted as the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has taken up a proposal to pay compensation as per present policies for an acquisition done two decades ago.
The acquisition for an 18m road in the Danteshwar area of the city was done 20 years ago. A man had lost around 2,878 sq m land in the road line. While there was no controversy regarding the matter till recently, the man sought compensation as per the present policy.
According to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 the civic body will have to pay twice the price mentioned in the government almanac of land rates to thee man. This amounts to a whopping Rs 5.46crore. Against this, land losers earlier have been given much lesser compensation in 2007 and 2009. In 2017, the VMC had also decided to prefer giving transferable floor-space index in lieu of acquired land.
Sources said that the issue was first brought to the standing committee in December last year, but was sent back without being included in the agenda as it was not found fit even for consideration. After hectic lobbying it was brought back in the agenda earlier this year. Since then it has been included in the agenda on three occasions. On each occasion, it has been deferred without taking a decision on it.
According to insiders, top BJP politicians in the city also showed interest in the matter and there were opinions both for and against the issue. The issue was also raked up by the Congress that said that if one person was being given such a benefit, all those who lost land after 1990 should be compensated at the same rate.
Sources said that the issue reached even the chief minister who also holds the urban development portfolio. The issue has been put in the cold storage now.