Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to introduce a new Land Acquisition Act to provide permanent solution to land acquisition issues and preventing future legal disputes.
The announcement was made by provincial law minister, Aftab Alam during a meeting of standing Committee on Land Acquisition that was also attended by provincial cabinet members Meena Khan Afridi, Muzammil Aslam, MPA Zahir Shah Toru, and senior officials from the Higher Education Department, Board of Revenue, Finance Department, Agriculture Department and Advocate General’s Office.
The committee reviewed legal, administrative and financial matters relating to the transfer of land acquired for various public welfare and development projects. Participants were briefed on pending cases, decree amounts, land ownership transfers, record completion and obstacles delaying the implementation of several development schemes.
Officials informed the meeting that most of the land had been acquired under valuation rates applicable at the time of acquisition. However, significant changes in official valuation rates over the years have created legal, financial and administrative complications affecting land transfers and compensation payments. The committee was further informed that, in accordance with court judgments issued in 2018 and 2019, the applicable markup on compensation would be calculated from the dates of those decisions and the financial implications of the rulings are currently under review.
Participants of meeting also discussed the issue of decretal amounts relating to the Mardan Ring Road project and .examined proposals for revising relevant provisions in finance bill to address liabilities arising from court decrees.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of progress on directives issued to a sub-committee, law minister directed all concerned departments to ensure timely implementation of committee decisions. He said legal and administrative hurdles in public interest projects would not be tolerated adding that all pending matters must be resolved in accordance with the principles of law, justice and transparency to safeguard both government interests and the rights of affected landowners. The minister instructed relevant departments to conduct a comprehensive legal and financial review of all pending cases and prepare practical recommendations keeping in view current valuation rates, judicial decisions and existing laws.