Section 51 Land Acquisition Act 2013 - Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority
Section 51 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 requires the appropriate Government to establish one or more Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authorities for speedy disposal of disputes relating to land acquisition, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement.
Section 51 - Establishment of the Authority
(1) The appropriate Government shall, for the purpose of providing speedy disposal of disputes relating to land acquisition, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement, establish, by notification, one or more Authorities to be known as "the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority" to exercise jurisdiction, powers and authority conferred on it by or under this Act.
(2) The appropriate Government shall also specify in the notification referred to in sub-section (1) the areas within which the Authority may exercise jurisdiction for entertaining and deciding the references made to it under section 64 or applications made by the applicant under the second proviso to sub-section (1) of section 64.
Purpose of Section 51
The central purpose of Section 51 is speedy adjudication of disputes arising under the RFCTLARR Act in relation to land acquisition, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement. Instead of leaving these statutory disputes without a specialised forum, the provision requires establishment of one or more dedicated Authorities.
- The appropriate Government must establish one or more Authorities.
- Establishment is made by notification.
- The statutory name is the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority.
- The Authority is intended to provide speedy disposal of specified disputes.
- Its jurisdiction, powers and authority arise from the Act and provisions made under it.
- The notification must specify the territorial area within which the Authority may exercise jurisdiction.
- The territorial jurisdiction applies to references and applications contemplated by Section 64.
Meaning of appropriate Government
The expression "appropriate Government" is defined in Section 3 of the Act. Which Government is the appropriate Government depends on the acquiring authority and the purpose and circumstances of the acquisition specified in that definition. This determination is important because Section 51 places the duty to establish the Authority on the appropriate Government.
Establishment by notification
The Authority is established through an official notification. Section 51(2) further requires that the notification specify the area within which that Authority can exercise jurisdiction. Accordingly, the relevant Government notification should be checked to identify the competent Authority for a particular acquisition or reference.
One or more Authorities may be established
Section 51 permits establishment of "one or more" Authorities. This enables the appropriate Government to create the number of Authorities considered necessary and to assign territorial jurisdiction through the establishing notification.
Disputes covered by the Authority
Section 51 expressly identifies disputes relating to land acquisition, compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement. The Authority exercises only the jurisdiction, powers and authority conferred by or under the Act. The precise route by which a dispute reaches the Authority must therefore be read with the reference mechanism and other relevant provisions of the Act.
Territorial jurisdiction
The notification establishing the Authority must specify the geographical area in which it may exercise jurisdiction. Territorial jurisdiction is therefore not determined from Section 51 alone; the establishing notification is a necessary document for identifying the Authority competent to entertain and decide a particular matter.
Connection with Section 64
Section 51(2) expressly connects the Authority's territorial jurisdiction with references under Section 64 and applications under the second proviso to Section 64(1). Section 64 provides the statutory mechanism by which a person who has not accepted the award may, subject to the conditions of that section, seek reference of specified objections to the Authority.
Matters that may arise under Section 64
Section 64 deals with reference to the Authority in respect of objections identified by the Act, including matters concerning measurement of land, amount of compensation, persons to whom compensation is payable, rights of rehabilitation and resettlement under Chapters V and VI, and apportionment of compensation among interested persons. The exact statutory requirements and limitation periods in Section 64 should be checked before making a reference or application.
Authority and ordinary monitoring committees
The Authority under Section 51 performs an adjudicatory role under the Act. It is distinct from the National Monitoring Committee under Section 48 and the State Monitoring Committee under Section 50, whose provisions concern review and monitoring of rehabilitation and resettlement implementation.
Related provisions on constitution and functioning
Sections following Section 51 regulate the structure and functioning of the Authority. Section 52 deals with composition, Section 53 with qualifications for appointment as Presiding Officer, Section 54 with the term of office, and later provisions address staff, service conditions, vacancies, resignation and removal, procedure and powers.
Official legal sources
For the authoritative Central Act and official land acquisition material, refer to India Code and the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development. For a particular case, also check the relevant Central or State notification establishing the Authority and specifying its territorial jurisdiction.
Note: The competent Authority, its territorial jurisdiction and procedural requirements may depend on the applicable Government notification, rules and the provisions governing the particular reference or application.
Updated: October 2026