The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to introduce a new Land Acquisition Act aimed at providing a permanent solution to land acquisition issues and preventing future legal disputes, Provincial Minister for Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Alam announced on Wednesday.
The announcement came during a meeting of the Cabinet-constituted Standing Committee on Land Acquisition, chaired by the minister at the Higher Education Department Committee Room.
The meeting was attended by provincial cabinet members Meena Khan Afridi, Muzammil Aslam, and MPA Zahir Shah Toru, along with vice chancellors of public universities, senior officials from the Higher Education Department, Board of Revenue, Finance Department, Agriculture Department, Advocate General’s Office and other relevant government departments.
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.
The meeting also discussed the issue of decretal amounts relating to the Mardan Ring Road project. Participants examined proposals for revising relevant provisions in the Finance Bill to address liabilities arising from court decrees.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of progress on directives issued to a sub-committee constituted during the previous meeting, Aftab Alam 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.
Announcing the government’s future legislative agenda, Aftab Alam said the provincial government would soon introduce a new Land Acquisition Act to establish a transparent, efficient and modern legal framework for land acquisition, compensation and transfer of ownership, thereby minimizing litigation in future.
The committee also agreed in principle to examine a six-year payment schedule carrying a two percent markup, alongside other legal and financial proposals, before placing them before the relevant forums. Participants emphasized strengthening inter-departmental coordination to remove delays in development projects and ensure their timely completion.