Voicing their concerns over the provisions in the new land Bill, five farmers’ organisations on Monday appeared before a parliamentary panel and strongly objected to the State complaint redressal body — to be headed by a civil servant — and the “dilution” of five-year cap for returning the land to its owner if the construction did not start.
The organisations, including those lfrom Bhatta Parsaul where Congress president Rahul Gandhi started his agitation against forcible land acquisition in 2011, discussed their objections with SS Ahluwalia-led Joint Committee of Parliament.
Sources, quoting senior BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, said farmers have insisted that the quasi-judicial redressal body should be headed by a judicial person rather than a civil servant “who may always speak for the Government”.
The quasi-judicial redressal body has been proposed to cater to all the disputes, if any, over compensation and rehabilitation issues.
Representative of the farmers also objected to withdrawal of the consent clause, as provided in 2013 Bill, and questioned why private entity and private companies created in the new Bill. They insisted that assent clause was a must to guard the interest of farmers.
Besides, the committee was asked to restore the “five-year deadline” for returning the land in case the project does not take off. The new Bill seeks to put a rider saying that the deadline would not be considered if projects gets delayed due to a dispute (on land) in a court.
Asked what was the Centre’s response, sources said the Government, for now, is expected to play the role of “an observer” and formulate its response at the later stage.
Quizzed on CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri’s objection to the Government bringing an Ordinance while the parliamentary panel was scrutinising the controversial provisions of the bill, sources said that it was not in the purview of the committee.
Farmers’ organisations, mainly from the National Capital Region, met the committee for half hour each for a total of over two hours. According to sources, 15 to 16 more organizations would be presenting their views and objections in the next meeting of the committee. “ Together 300 organizations are to present their case before the panel. Of them, around 85 have already made their presentations.” they said.
The organizations who met the Panel included Rashtriya Kisan Union and Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan from Uttar Pradesh, Kisan Jagriti Manch and Bhartiya Kisan Union from Haryana and Khet Bachao Jeewan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti from Bihar.
The farmer leaders said that any amendment or change in Section 24 (2) of the Act will cause great loss to the farmers, whose land have been acquired under the old Act of 1894 and they have not accepted any compensation till date. Farmers said that if there is an amendment in section 24 (2) of 2013 land law, those farmers will be forced to accept compensation as the 1894 Act.
The leaders suggested that the committee should recommend that no change should be made in the retrospective clause under section 24 (2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.