The land Acquisition Bill is unlikely to be presented in Parliament during the Monsoon Session beginning Tuesday and the related Ordinance would be promulgated for an unprecedented fourth time.
The Joint Committee of Parliament headed by BJP MP SS Ahluwalia, looking into the controversial legislation, has sought a two-week extension till August 3 to finalise its report which may carry recommendations for changes in the legislation brought by the BJP government..
“The Bill is unlikely to be brought before Parliament in the Monsoon Session due to lack of consensus. Hence the only likely probability is its re-promulgation,” sources said.
Indications are that the panel is unlikely to come out with its report during the Monsoon Session and could seek further extension, making it necessary for the government to re-promulgate the ordinance once again. The ordinance was promulgated for the third time on May 31. Further extensions may also be sought as the government does not want to bring the bill before Parliament until after the Bihar Assembly poll in September-October.
Sources in the government see nothing unusual in the re-promulgation of the land ordinance. They said at least 15 ordinances have been promulgated twice or more.
An ordinance, which has a life span of six months otherwise, has to be re-promulgated if it does not get the endorsement of Parliament within six weeks of the start of a session. Monsoon Session starts on July 21 and ends on August 13.
Several Organizations including those belonging to the RSS outfits have opposed changes in 2013 land bill of the UPA government and demanded consent and Social Impact Assessment should be mandatory for all kinds of land acquisition. It was also suggested that land acquisition be left to the states who should be setting up their norms for acquiring land.