Confederation of Indian Industry Proposes Unified National Industrial Land Bank
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has proposed a unified national industrial land bank with a GIS-enabled system to streamline land acquisition for manufacturing, reducing timelines and enhancing transparency.
Key Features of the Proposal
- Standardized Social Impact Assessments: The CII has suggested standardized social impact assessment templates to ensure that land acquisition is carried out in a socially responsible manner.
- District-Level Acquisition Cells: The industry body has proposed expeditious industrial acquisition cells at the district level to facilitate faster land acquisition.
- GIS-Linked Land Dispute Registry: A publicly accessible GIS-linked land dispute registry would be created to address disputes related to land acquisition.
- Uniform Stamp Duty: The CII has pushed for a uniform, nationally-guided stamp duty for industrial land to reduce inter-state variations and distort investment decisions.
Reforms to Reduce Timelines and Enhance Transparency
The CII's report has highlighted the need for reforms to reduce timelines and enhance transparency in land acquisition. These reforms include:
- Standardization of land records and GIS-linked cadastral mapping
- Survey-level authentication prior to allotment
- Introduction of title insurance for large industrial parcels
- Nationwide digitization of land records
Integrated Digital Single-Window System
The CII has also pitched for an integrated digital single-window system for industrial land applications, which would consolidate approvals across departments, standardize documentation, and allow real-time tracking.
Challenges in Industrial Land Acquisition
The CII's past president, TV Narendran, has highlighted the challenges in industrial land acquisition, which include:
- Readiness and utilization of land
- Infrastructure gaps
- Unclear titles
- Prolonged downstream approvals
The CII's proposal aims to address these challenges and make industrial land acquisition faster, more transparent, and more investor-friendly.