Opposition to land acquisition Bill is misplaced
The NDA Government's land acquisition ordinance and the Bill in Parliament that seeks to replace it, have been embroiled in a political controversy, with the Opposition led by the Congress determined to torpedo the Modi regime’s effort. The Bill comes in place of The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, which the Congress-led UPA regime had brought. While the Government's rivals have the right to oppose legislations, their present obstinacy is misplaced. Worse, it has vitiated the environment for faster growth and prosperity and spread the false notion that the Narendra Modi Government is out to destroy the farmers and benefit the corporate sector through the legislation.
It appears that for the Opposition, not even the apparent benefits to the country at large, is above the opportunity to score points over the Bharatiya Janata Party-led regime. Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley is, therefore, not very wrong in observing that, not only had the UPA brought in a defective law and created the mess in the first place, but it is now conducting itself in such an irresponsible manner that it is making industry and infrastructure sound like “bad words”. If the Congress genuinely introspects, it will realise that the 2013 Act failed to achieve its purpose. No land acquisition of significance has happened since this legislation came into force, primarily because the provisions on consent and social impact assessment became insurmountable hurdles.
The proposed legislation does not do away with these clauses entirely and leave the owners of the land — mainly farmers — in the lurch. The Government has only identified key sectors such as national security, defence, infrastructure, low-cost housing and industrial corridors, in which the consent and social audit conditions will not apply. There should have been no opposition to these exemptions, since none will say that projects in critical sectors which impact national security and well-being of the needy, should be held ransom to obstructionist procedures. The bottom line is that, even in cases where the land is sought to be acquired through exemptions, farmers who partake of their land will be given the compensation promised earlier.
Given the protests in and outside Parliament, the Government appears amenable to some tweaking in the proposed law. It may, for instance, fix a ceiling on land that can be acquired through exemptions for the purposes that are listed for special treatment. But any compromise on the basics will take us back to square one. The Modi Government has announced an ambitious roadmap for economic growth and infrastructure development, but the plans cannot be realised as long as the acquisition of land remains problematic. Besides, any serious back-tracking will leave the Government's image dented and send wrong signals about its resolve to revamp the country's financial health. The Government should get those of its allies who have expressed apprehensions on the proposed law, on board and give the message that it will not succumb to arm-twisting. If the Opposition tastes blood on one issue, it will then seek to derail every reform agenda the Government brings in the coming months.
