Section 49 Land Acquisition Act 2013 - Reporting Requirements

Section 49 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 creates a reporting duty for States and Union territories. They must provide relevant information on matters covered by the Act to the National Monitoring Committee regularly, in a timely manner, and whenever the Committee requires it.

Section 49 - Reporting Requirements

Purpose of Section 49

Section 49 supports the national monitoring framework established under Section 48. Effective review and monitoring of rehabilitation and resettlement schemes or plans depends on current information from the States and Union territories where land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement measures are implemented.

Who must provide the information?

The statutory obligation is placed on the States and Union territories. In practice, the information may originate from the departments, Collectors, rehabilitation and resettlement authorities or other public bodies handling matters under the Act, depending on the administrative arrangements applicable in the State or Union territory.

What information is covered?

Section 49 uses broad language: "all the relevant information on the matters covered under this Act." The provision is therefore not limited in its text to a single stage of land acquisition or only one category of rehabilitation and resettlement data. The information required in a particular case should be understood in light of the monitoring functions under Section 48 and any applicable rules, formats, directions or requests.

Meaning of regular and timely reporting

The requirement that information be provided in a "regular and timely manner" emphasises continuing reporting rather than a one-time submission. Timely information allows the National Monitoring Committee to review implementation while rehabilitation and resettlement measures are being carried out and to identify issues requiring attention.

Information as and when required

Section 49 separately requires information to be supplied "as and when required." This enables the National Monitoring Committee to seek relevant information in addition to regular reporting. The statutory text therefore supports both periodic information flow and requirement-based reporting.

National Monitoring Committee under Section 48

Section 48 permits the Central Government, whenever necessary for national or inter-State projects, to constitute a National Monitoring Committee to review and monitor implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement schemes or plans under the Act. Section 49 provides the reporting mechanism through which States and Union territories supply information relevant to that function.

Relationship between Sections 48 and 49

Sections 48 and 49 should be read together. Section 48 establishes the national monitoring mechanism and identifies its review and monitoring function. Section 49 ensures that the Committee can receive relevant information from States and Union territories regularly, promptly and whenever specifically required.

Relationship with State monitoring under Section 50

Section 50 provides for a State Monitoring Committee for reviewing and monitoring implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement schemes or plans under the Act at State level. Section 49, by contrast, is specifically concerned with information supplied by States and Union territories to the National Monitoring Committee.

Why reporting matters in rehabilitation and resettlement

Rehabilitation and resettlement obligations involve implementation over time. Reporting enables monitoring bodies to compare planned measures with actual implementation, identify delays or gaps, and obtain information needed for statutory oversight. Section 49 provides the legal basis for information flow to the national-level Committee.

Official legal sources

For authoritative Central legislation and official land acquisition material, refer to India Code and the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development. Applicable rules, Government notifications, monitoring directions and prescribed reporting arrangements should also be checked where a specific reporting obligation or format is in issue.

Note: Section 49 states the general statutory reporting duty. The precise administrative channel, data format, frequency or additional reporting particulars may depend on applicable rules, directions and Government arrangements.

Updated: October 2026