New Delhi, Shawwal 22, 1434, Aug 29, 2013, SPA -- India's lower house of parliament Thursday passed a land acquisition bill that aims to provide fair compensation to families whose land has been acquired by the government for industry and infrastructure development, dpa reported. The bill, which was drafted to replace the 1894 act that gave the government sweeping powers to take over private land, still needs upper house approval. Acquisition of land for mining, factories, roads and housing projects has led to bitter clashes between farmers, indigenous groups and the government in several states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, and stalled projects. The new bill proposes compensation of up to four times the market value in rural areas and two times in urban areas. It also requires developers to get the consent of 80 per cent of people whose land is acquired. The proposed law also provides for a social impact assessment before any acquisition of land and lays down strong legal measures that would need to be taken before any acquisition. Federal Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the bill aimed to address widespread and historical injustices and make affected people partners in development to ensure an improvement in their social and economic status. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government wants to push through the bill, hoping it would address the impasse in various cases where the Supreme Court has stepped in to support landholders demanding fair compensation. It is also being seen as an attempt to boost a sluggish economy ahead of general elections in 2014. " Business lobbies have said they welcome the reforms, but this could push up the cost of land and make industrial projects unviable. The century-old Land Acquisition Act, 1894, does not touch on the issue of resettlement or rehabilitation of people displaced and provides for very low compensation. -- SPA 20:45 LOCAL TIME 17:45 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1141236