M A I N   N E W S

Land Bill logjam persists, fresh meet on April 18
KV Prasad/TNS

New Delhi, April 9
To speed up the process of consultations on the controversial Land Acquisition Bill and enact it in the current session of Parliament, the Centre today asked political parties to send in their suggestions by April 15, amid a standoff over demand from the Opposition to refer the proposed legislation to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for scrutiny.

No consensus The Centre on Tuesday asked political parties to send in their suggestions by April 15 The move came after the government could not find a common meeting ground with the BJP offering at least a dozen suggestions The CPM insisted the Bill is drastically different to the one introduced last year since the government itself is moving some 154 amendments

The move came after the government could not find a common meeting ground with the BJP offering at least a dozen suggestions while the CPM insisted the Bill is drastically different to the one introduced last year since the government itself is moving some 154 amendments. CPM Lok Sabha leader Basudeb Acharia holds the view that such suggestions would not find place in the eventual Bill. Acharia, who heads the Standing Committee on Agriculture, said that in response to a similar offer by the government he had submitted several measures but only one was accepted.

The only point of solace for the government is that majority of the parties do want a legislation in place on land acquisition something which the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath underscored stating there is a complete consensus among parties that the Bill needs to be passed.

Clarity needed Clarity is required on several clauses, including the definition of public purpose and compensation to land owners. — D Raja, CPI

“Farmers and land owners are suffering and the legislation is delayed. The Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said of the 150-odd amendments, only 26 are substantive, so why not send it to a standing committee which can give a report and the Bill can be taken up for passage during the monsoon session'', BJP leader Bharatruhari Mahatab told The Tribune.

CPI leader D Raja said clarity is required on several clauses, including the definition of public purpose and compensation to land owners. He said the parties would send their suggestions by April 15. These suggestions will be circulated to other parties with remarks and later taken up at the next meeting on April 18,” he said.

The Congress-led UPA government is keen that a friendly land acquisition policy as also the Bill providing food security gets approval of Parliament when both Houses resume sitting in the second half of the budget session between April 22 and May 10.