The Jharkhand government will facilitate the return of land acquired for industry and lying unused to the original owner.

The Hemant Soren government will withdraw a 2015 amendment of the Raghubar Das dispensation that mandated that such land be included in the state’s land bank.

The amendment had been made to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

Thursday’s announcement was made by state women, child development and social welfare minister Joba Manjhi while replying to a question by the Congress MLA from Godda, Pradeep Yadav, during the call attention motion relating to the budget session of the Assembly.

“Our government will rectify the mistake of the earlier government and a provision will be made to return the land to the raiyats (original landholders) and return the unused land to the original landholders,” Manjhi said.

Yadav had raised the question in the House that the Raghubar government had made a provision for unused land acquired for industries to be returned to the land bank instead of handing it back to the original owner.

The 2013 Act regulates land acquisition and lays down the procedure and rules for granting compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement to affected persons.

Yadav had also suggested that original landholders, whose plots have not been used after being taken under the land acquisition Act, should also be given compensation along with the land after an assessment of the damage caused to the land carried out by the deputy commissioner of the concerned district.

Manjhi said that action would be taken on the basis of assessment after calling for the report.

Later in the day, state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said the government had achieved the target of 71.33 per cent paddy procurement till March 23.

“If the target of 100 per cent paddy procurement is not achieved by March 31, a letter will be written to the Centre to extend the date till April 30,” said Oraon.

Oraon further said that for 45,10,719 quintals of paddy purchased till March 7, Rs 373.96 crore had been paid to the farmers and there was a requirement of Rs 437.53 crore for the payment of the first instalment to the farmers and Rs 460.90 crore had been made available to the districts.

The day also saw the Jharkhand State Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2022, being passed by voice vote. Agriculture minister Badal Patralekh said the bill would help improve the functioning of agriculture marketing committees in all districts.

The day also saw the passing of the consequential seniority to government servants promoted on the basis of reservation bill 2022, which would facilitate promotion of ST government servants on basis of seniority.

However, several BJP lawmakers raised objection and demanded reservation for OBCs in the promotion category too and requested for sending the bill to a selected committee of the Assembly before passing it.