Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation

Delay and conflicts associated with acquisition of land and subsequent resettlement & rehabilitation of project-affected communities are significant bottlenecks for infrastructure development. These impediments not only halt the implementation of proposed investments but are also likely to propel a vicious cycle of low investment and low growth in the economy. The dearth of trained professionals incapacitates governments and organisations to address these issues effectively. The Centre for Excellence in Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (CMLARR), Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, established with the support of World Bank and AusAID, is playing a leading role in providing technical support to government/public/private institutions in addressing social risks in investment operations, developing technical guidelines as well as in planning and implementation of infrastructure investment operations across the length and breadth of the country. The Centre has also expanded its operation by engaging with governments and educational institutions in several countries including China, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Kenya, Afghanistan, Uganda, Nepal etc.

CMLARR has been leading the capacity building interventions for LARR specialist officers in the South Asian region. The Centre has conducted about a hundred dedicated Courses for more than 5000 officers involving 120 client organisations. The Centre has entered into a MoU with National Research Centre for Resettlement, Hohai University, China, to support cooperation and create research network for effective management of social issues in infrastructure development. The two leading institutions in China and India are now offering International Programmes and Joint Certification Courses in Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (LARR). ASCI has also signed an MoU with University of Nairobi to support a dedicated Land Acquisition Centre in Kenya Among prominent international assignments include customised courses on LARR for Ministerial delegation from Government of Uganda, Egypt, Kenya etc; Curriculum Development Workshop for University of Nairobi; Support to World Bank in the Technical Assistance for Land Acquisition Policy and Institutional Reform in Egypt; Development of Step by Step Guidelines on Social Impact Assessment; South-South learning event on R & R and Benefit Sharing; International training courses on LARR, advisory guidance to University of Peradeniya; Sri Lanka on LARR, Technical support for Training of Trainers in workshops organised by World Bank in the South Asian Region etc.

CMLARR is an empanelled expert institution for conducting social impact assessment studies. The Centre has led several consultancy studies on social impact assessment and evaluation of LARR Implementation including those of World Bank supported projects. CMLARR has been providing support to the Department of Land Resources, Government of India and various State Governments in the implementation of the new land acquisition Act. Customised courses on the RFCTLARR Act 2013 have been organised for several state governments; Karnataka (400 officers), Tamil Nadu (105 officers), Bihar (100 Officers), Odisha (55 Officers), Madhya Pradesh (54 Officers); Punjab (115 officers); Sikkim (50 Officers) etc. Officers from more than 20 state governments have participated in the LARR Courses at ASCI. CMLARR has institutionalized partnership with Coal India Ltd the largest coal producer in the world. The Centre has conceptualised, designed and directed customised capacity building interventions on LARR for senior IAS Officers, World Bank & Asian Development Bank supported projects, government organisations and several public/private sector organisations. The annual announced programmes on LARR have been receiving unprecedented participation including senior officers from State governments and numerous public and private sector organisations.

Vision

Emerge as the global focal point for capacity building, policy advocacy and operational expertise in Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Emerge as the global focal point for capacity building, policy advocacy and operational expertise in Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (MLARR).

Mission

Sustaining excellence in all areas of LARR from pre-project planning stage to post-implementation evaluation phase including Procedural and Legal framework, Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Resettlement planning, Livelihood restoration, Benefit Sharing and Monitoring & Evaluation.

Objectives

• Promote comprehensive understanding of legislative framework, impact assessment procedures and operational knowledge to plan/ implement/ monitor resettlement action plans/livelihood restoration plans.
• Facilitate sharing of experiences in LARR/benefit sharing in South Asia & globally in collaboration with interested organizations.
• Create technically qualified pool of professionals equipped to deal with the LARR processes in an effective manner;
• Create network of LARR professionals for promotion of dialogue and sharing of dissemination of best practices;
• Support policy development/development of technical guidelines relating to LARR; Promote South-South co-operation in MLARR