#WeeklyNewsRoundup: Lok Sabha Passes Immovable Property Amendment Bill

The Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden Line of the Delhi Metro, which would reduce travel time between Noida and south Delhi, would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25. Authorities in Noida are busy making security and other arrangements for the visit. After the new section of the Delhi Metro is opened, commuters will be able to travel directly to the Kalkaji Mandir Metro Station, which is on the Violet Line. Currently, for travelling to south Delhi areas, commuters from Noida have to change trains, from the Blue Line to the Violet Line, at the Mandi House Metro Station.

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A Bill to amend the regulations, governing compensation payable for acquisition of immovable property by the Centre for defence and security purposes, was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 20. The Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill was adopted by a voice vote. The Bill seeks to amend a provision to allow the Centre to re-issue the notice of acquisition in order to ensure that the property's owner gets an opportunity to be heard.

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The government has given in-principle approval for 19 new airports, of which some would be developed through a public-private partnership, the Lok Sabha was informed. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on December 21 told the Lower House that the country's civil aviation sector was growing leaps and bounds ─ the number of aircraft in the country was around 548 compared to about 395 in 2014, he said.

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Properties belonging to people who left India for countries such as Pakistan and China after the partition would soon be disposed of, with Home Minister Rajnath Singh giving his approval for the same. The home minister has said that considering the importance of the new provisions in the Enemy Property Act, 2017, which was amended recently to include disposal/transfer of enemy properties, the rules might be notified soon.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to re-examine a notification exempting real estate projects with a built-up area measuring between 20,000 and 1,50,000 square metre (sqm) from obtaining prior environment clearance, saying the norm suffers from legal infirmity. The MoEF, in an amendment notification published on December 9, 2016, exempted buildings and construction projects from the process of environment-impact assessment (EIA) and prior environmental clearance.