Publication of corrigendum under Section 3a MoRTH

## Policy Analysis Report: Corrigendum to S.O. 22(E) Regarding Land Acquisition for National Highways **1. Executive Summary:** This report analyzes a corrigendum to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' notification S.O. 22(E) dated 04th January, 2022, concerning land acquisition for national highways. The corrigendum, published as S.O. 3618(E) on August 2, 2022, solely involves a change in the designated land acquisition officer for a specific area. This amendment substitutes the "Special Land Acquisition Officer, Siddharthnagar" with the "Deputy Land Acquisition Officer S.S., Mahrajganj." The key finding is a change in administrative responsibility that may impact stakeholders involved in land acquisition processes in the affected area. **2. Introduction:** The purpose of this report is to provide an informative analysis of the Corrigendum to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' notification S.O. 22(E), based solely on the text provided. This analysis will cover the amendment's objectives, key changes, affected stakeholders, and potential implications. **3. Policy Overview:** * **Original Policy:** The amendment pertains to notification S.O. 22(E) dated 04th January, 2022, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Subsection II. This original policy, in general, appears to deal with land acquisition for national highways, based on the provided context. * **Core Objective(s):** As inferred from the corrigendum, the original policy likely aimed to designate responsible officers for land acquisition related to national highway projects. The amendment suggests the need to refine or correct these initial designations. **4. Background and Rationale:** This is an amendment to a previous policy, as such the rationale will be addressed in this frame. The likely reason for this specific amendment is to correct an error or update administrative responsibilities related to land acquisition. The text suggests that the initial designation of the "Special Land Acquisition Officer, Siddharthnagar" was deemed incorrect or was no longer applicable, necessitating the substitution with the "Deputy Land Acquisition Officer S.S., Mahrajganj." This may be due to a change in personnel, jurisdictional realignment, or other administrative considerations. **5. Key Provisions / Changes:** This section focuses specifically on the changes introduced by the amendment. * **Specific Part of Original Policy Changed:** The amendment changes the "schedule to the said notification, against serial no. 1: in column 2". This indicates the change refers to a list of items, and the first item on that list, specifically column 2 of the relevant entry, is being altered. * **New Rule/Provision:** The new rule/provision is that the "Deputy Land Acquisition Officer S.S., Mahrajganj shall be substituted" for the previous "Special Land Acquisition Officer, Siddharthnagar." * **Difference/Effect of Change:** The effect of this change is to transfer responsibility for land acquisition matters (related to whatever "serial no. 1" refers to in the original policy) from the Special Land Acquisition Officer of Siddharthnagar to the Deputy Land Acquisition Officer S.S. of Mahrajganj. This likely means that all future communications, applications, and processes related to land acquisition under this specific project will now need to be directed to the new officer. **6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:** Based on the provided text, the directly affected stakeholders include: * Landowners in the area affected by serial number 1 of the original notification S.O. 22(E). * The Deputy Land Acquisition Officer S.S., Mahrajganj, who now assumes responsibility. * The Special Land Acquisition Officer, Siddharthnagar, who is relieved of this responsibility. * Any parties involved in the national highway project, such as construction companies or environmental agencies, operating in the affected area. **7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):** * **Responsible Agency/Bodies:** The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is the responsible agency. The Deputy Land Acquisition Officer S.S., Mahrajganj is now directly responsible for implementation in the designated area. * **Timelines/Procedures:** No specific timelines or procedures are mentioned in this amendment. However, it can be inferred that any ongoing or future land acquisition activities will need to adhere to this change immediately. * **Implementation Specific to Changes:** The change requires internal communication within the Ministry and relevant departments to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the updated officer designation. **8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:** The likely intended outcome of this change is to ensure the smooth and efficient processing of land acquisition matters. By correcting or updating the responsible officer, the amendment aims to avoid delays or miscommunication in the project. The impact of the change is primarily administrative, ensuring the right person is in charge. **9. Conclusion:** The Corrigendum to S.O. 22(E) represents a minor but potentially important administrative adjustment concerning land acquisition responsibilities for a specific national highway project. While the change itself is limited to a single officer designation, its impact could be significant for stakeholders involved in the land acquisition process in the affected area. This amendment ensures clear lines of authority and aims to facilitate the efficient implementation of the original policy.

Key Entities Referenced