The Bihar Underground Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 2011
The Bihar Underground Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 2011
The Bihar Underground Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 2011 provides a legal framework for the Bihar state government and authorized corporations to acquire the right to use private and public land to lay underground pipelines for transporting water, gas, or other materials. Instead of acquiring full ownership of the land, the state acquires only the underground right of user at a depth of at least 1.5 meters, leaving surface ownership intact with the original owner. The Act balances public utility development with private rights by excluding residential plots, offering 20% of the land's market value plus solatium as compensation, setting strict objection timelines, and enforcing a two-year limit within which compensation must be paid to avoid the acquisition lapsing completely.
- 0. Preamble
- 1. Short title, extent and commencement
- 2. Definitions
- 3. Publication of notification for Acquisition
- 4. Declaration of acquisition of right of user in Land
- 5. Power to enter and survey
- 6. Laying underground pipelines
- 7. Power to enter into land for inspection
- 8. Restrictions regarding use of land
- 9. Compensation
- 10. Deposit and payment of compensation
- 11. Period within which compensation shall be made
- 12. Special powers in cases of urgency
- 13. Competent authority to have certain powers of civil court
- 14. Protection for action taken in good faith
- 15. Bar of jurisdiction
- 16. Punishment
- 17. Power to remove difficulties
- 18. Power to make rules
PDF: pending for this language.