Draft:Project Affected Persons (PAP)

A project-affected person (PAP) is a person, household or community whose land, residence, livelihood, access to resources, or social and economic life is adversely affected by a development, infrastructure, conservation, mining, industrial, urban renewal or public-purpose project. The expression is commonly used in the fields of land acquisition, involuntary resettlement, rehabilitation and development-induced displacement.[1][2]

The term is widely used in South Asia, particularly in India, in relation to dams, highways, railways, airports, industrial corridors, power projects, urban transport schemes, special economic zones and conservation projects. PAPs may include legal landowners, tenants, agricultural labourers, forest-dependent communities, artisans, shopkeepers, informal settlers and others whose livelihoods are affected even when they do not hold formal title to the land.[2][3]

Definition and scope

The meaning of project-affected person varies across legal systems, project policies and funding-agency frameworks. In general, the term covers people who suffer loss of land, housing, income, employment, access to common property resources, community networks or public services because of a project. Some policies distinguish between displaced persons, who physically lose their homes or are relocated, and project-affected persons, who may or may not be physically displaced but suffer economic, social or livelihood impacts.[4]

In Indian legal usage, the term is closely related to the statutory category of an "affected family" under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The Act provides for compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement for families affected by land acquisition and requires a social impact assessment in many acquisition cases.[2]

Development-induced displacement

Project-affected persons are most commonly discussed in the context of development-induced displacement. Large development projects may require compulsory acquisition of land or restrictions on existing land use, leading to physical relocation or loss of livelihood. Studies on India have associated development-induced displacement with dams, mines, industrial projects, infrastructure corridors and protected-area projects.[3]

Scholars and civil-society organisations have argued that the impacts of displacement are not limited to loss of land or housing. They may include reduced access to forests, grazing land, water bodies, markets, schools, health services, social networks and cultural sites. These effects can be particularly significant for tribal communities, landless workers and informal-sector households whose dependence on land or common resources may not be fully reflected in formal ownership records.[5][3]

Rehabilitation and resettlement

Rehabilitation and resettlement, often abbreviated as R&R, refers to measures intended to restore or improve the living standards and livelihoods of project-affected persons. These measures may include monetary compensation, replacement land, housing, subsistence allowance, employment or annuity benefits, relocation support, training, civic amenities and access to schools, health care and public services.[2]

A recurring criticism of resettlement policy is that compensation based only on formal land ownership may exclude tenants, sharecroppers, forest users, artisans, wage labourers and informal settlers. Researchers have also noted that cash compensation alone may not restore livelihoods when displaced people lose access to land, water, forests, customers or community support systems.[6]

In India, project-affected persons have historically been dealt with through a combination of land acquisition law, state rehabilitation laws, project-specific policies and funding-agency safeguard requirements. Before the adoption of a national rehabilitation framework, many development projects acquired land under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which focused primarily on acquisition and compensation rather than comprehensive rehabilitation.[3]

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 replaced the colonial-era acquisition law for many purposes. PRS Legislative Research notes that the 2013 law requires social impact assessment, provides for compensation linked to market value, and mandates rehabilitation and resettlement for people affected by acquisition.[2]

Some Indian states have also enacted or applied state-level rehabilitation laws and policies. Maharashtra, for example, has used the term "project affected persons" in relation to rehabilitation of persons affected by irrigation, power and other public projects.[7]

Issues and criticism

Several concerns are commonly raised in relation to project-affected persons:

  • Identification of affected persons: Surveys may fail to capture tenants, landless workers, women, forest users, informal settlers and people dependent on common property resources.
  • Delay in rehabilitation: Compensation and resettlement benefits may be delayed even after land has been taken or projects have commenced.
  • Livelihood restoration: Monetary compensation may not restore long-term income, especially where people lose access to agricultural land, forests, water bodies or local markets.
  • Disputes over eligibility: Conflicts often arise over cut-off dates, proof of residence, land title, family size and whether informal occupants qualify for benefits.
  • Community and cultural loss: Relocation may disrupt kinship networks, religious sites, burial grounds, local institutions and social support systems.

Media reports from Maharashtra have documented continuing protests by dam-affected and project-affected communities over unresolved compensation and rehabilitation claims, including cases where affected families alleged long delays in receiving promised benefits.[8][9]

In urban projects

The term PAP is also used in urban infrastructure projects, especially in relation to metro rail, railway expansion, road widening, airport development, slum rehabilitation and urban renewal schemes. In such cases, affected persons may include residents of informal settlements, shopkeepers, hawkers and small businesses. Eligibility for resettlement is often linked to documentary proof, cut-off dates and project-specific resettlement policies, which can become a source of litigation and public controversy.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fernandes, Walter (2023). "Development-Induced Displacement in India" (PDF). The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. 47 (2). Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013". PRS Legislative Research. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Ray, Partha S. "Development Induced Displacement in India" (PDF). Calcutta Research Group. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  4. ^ "Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy Framework" (PDF). World Bank Documents. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  5. ^ "A travesty of justice". Down To Earth. 30 April 2004. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  6. ^ "Displacing a livelihood". Down To Earth. 31 August 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  7. ^ "The Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1999" (PDF). India Code. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Villagers displaced by Warna dam & national park projects start indefinite strike over rehabilitation issues". The Times of India. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Navi Mumbai: 'Jal Satyagrah' protest organized at Balganga dam site". The Times of India. October 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  10. ^ "HC orders squatters to vacate, holds WR 'equally responsible'". The Times of India. March 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  11. ^ "Mumbai's 15-minute Thane Borivali commute inches closer as last hurdle cleared". The Indian Express. 2026-04-27. Retrieved 2026-04-27.

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