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Section 45 Land Acquisition Act 2013 - Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee at Project Level

Section 45 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 provides for a project-level Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee where the land proposed to be acquired is 100 acres or more. The Committee, chaired by the Collector, monitors and reviews implementation of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Scheme and carries out post-implementation social audits.

Section 45 - Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee at project level

(1) Where land proposed to be acquired is equal to or more than one hundred acres, the appropriate Government shall constitute a Committee under the chairmanship of the Collector to be called the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee, to monitor and review the progress of implementation of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Scheme and to carry out post-implementation social audits in consultation with the Gram Sabha in rural areas and municipality in urban areas.

(2) The Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee shall include, apart from officers of the appropriate Government, the following members, namely:

(a) a representative of women residing in the affected area;

(b) a representative each of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes residing in the affected area;

(c) a representative of a voluntary organisation working in the area;

(d) a representative of a nationalised bank;

(e) the Land Acquisition Officer of the project;

(f) the Chairpersons of the panchayats or municipalities located in the affected area or their nominees;

(g) the Chairperson of the District Planning Committee or his nominee;

(h) the Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly of the concerned area or their nominees;

(i) a representative of the Requiring Body; and

(j) Administrator for Rehabilitation and Resettlement as the Member-Convener.

(3) The procedure regulating the discharge of the process given in this section and other matters connected thereto of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee shall be such as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government.

When is the project-level Committee required?

Section 45(1) applies where the land proposed to be acquired is equal to or more than 100 acres. In that situation, the appropriate Government is required to constitute the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee under the chairmanship of the Collector.

Main functions of the Committee
  • Monitor implementation of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Scheme.
  • Review the progress of implementation.
  • Carry out post-implementation social audits.
  • Consult the Gram Sabha for rural areas.
  • Consult the municipality for urban areas.
  • Provide a project-level forum that includes affected-community representatives, public authorities, elected representatives, the Requiring Body and the Administrator.

Composition of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee

Section 45(2) requires a broad membership in addition to officers of the appropriate Government. The statutory composition includes:

Role of the Collector

The Collector is the chairperson of the Committee under Section 45(1). The Collector also performs important functions elsewhere under the Act, including land acquisition proceedings and rehabilitation and resettlement awards. The Committee structure brings the Collector together with community, institutional and project representatives for monitoring and review.

Role of the Administrator as Member-Convener

The Administrator for Rehabilitation and Resettlement appointed under Section 43 serves as the Member-Convener of the Committee. Section 43 separately vests formulation, execution and monitoring of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Scheme in the Administrator, subject to the statutory supervision and control specified there.

Meaning of Requiring Body

The term "Requiring Body" is defined in Section 3 of the RFCTLARR Act. Broadly, it identifies the entity for which land is being acquired under the Act. Section 45(2)(i) ensures that the Requiring Body is represented on the project-level Committee.

Social audit and local consultation

Post-implementation social audit is an express function of the Committee. In rural areas, the Committee must conduct this process in consultation with the Gram Sabha; in urban areas, consultation is with the municipality. Section 44 also assigns the Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Resettlement responsibility for the post-implementation social audit, making the provisions part of a connected oversight framework.

Procedure of the Committee

Section 45(3) leaves the procedure regulating the Committee's statutory process and connected matters to rules prescribed by the appropriate Government. Accordingly, the Central Act must be read with the rules and notifications applicable to the particular acquisition and State.

Relationship with Sections 43 and 44

Sections 43 to 45 create an integrated rehabilitation and resettlement structure. Section 43 provides for the project Administrator, Section 44 provides for the State-level Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Resettlement, and Section 45 establishes the project-level Committee for acquisitions meeting the statutory land threshold.

Official legal sources

For authoritative Central legislation and official material, refer to India Code and the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development. Applicable State rules, amendments, Government notifications and project-specific orders should also be checked when determining the Committee's procedure and current implementation arrangements.

Note: This article explains the Central provision generally. State rules and notifications may prescribe procedural details for constitution and functioning of the Committee.

Updated: October 2026