The Governing Council meet of NITI Ayog Wednesday witnessed non-BJP State Chief Ministers red flagging changes in the land Acquisition Bill while the CMs of the BJP- ruled States backing the amendments in the proposed legislation even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to parties to end the deadlock over the land Bill.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa asked the Centre not to go ahead with enacting the new land acquisition bill saying some of the provisions like the one relating to Social Impact Assessment were strongly opposed by the farmers in the State.
In her remarks at the meeting of NITI Aayog's Governing Council to which she had sent her printed speech to be taken on record as she could not make it due to "pressing official work," Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said her Government has been consistent in its stance that land is a State subject.
"I had also strongly opposed the amendment proposed in the (NDA Government's) Ordinance that the consent clause should not cover land acquisition for private hospitals and private educational institutions," she said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar demanded that the amended land Acquisition Bill be withdrawn in favour of the original 2013 legislation even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to parties to end the deadlock over the Bill.
"The State Government opposes any attempt to dilute, nullify or tamper with the letter and spirit of the 2013 Act in its original form," Kumar said while addressing the second meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal voiced opposition against the land bill and raised concerns over Centre's "interference" in the national capital saying it was against the spirit of cooperative federalism.
Kejriwal put forth his reservations and concerns at the second meeting of the NITI Aayog's Governing Council in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss various issues, including the land Bill.
Attended Niti Ayog meet. Opposed land Acq amendments. Also said that centre's interference in Delhi was against coop federalism," Kejriwal tweeted.
In the meeting, Kejriwal also suggested a "separate session" of the body on Centre-State relations and Cooperative Federalism. The Delhi Chief Minister's comments assume significance in the backdrop of the AAP Government's strained relationship with the Modi dispensation at the Centre over jurisdiction issues among others. The AAP has also been campaigning against the proposed changes to the land acquisition law terming them as "anti-farmer".
land should not be acquired without the consent of farmers and land owners, according to Punjab Chief Minister and Head of Srimoni Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal. Badal proposed that the social impact assessment clause should apply to all acquisitions.
SAD chief, an NDA ally, said he was of firm view that land acquisition, whether for state or central projects, should be left to State Governments."This land should be acquired only with the consent of owners, solely for the public purposes," he said.
Badal urged the Central Government to adopt Punjab land acquisition policy as a role model for the national policy on the proposed land Acquisition Bill-2015.
Thanking the Prime Minister for convening the meeting on "a crucial subject" as agriculture was facing a serious crisis in the country, Badal said, agriculture was a losing profession resulting in heavy debt and farm suicides.
"In the light of this grim scenario, the land Acquisition Bill 2015 has caused great concern in the minds of farmers and farm labourers," he added. The Chief Minister said that the general perception in the minds of farmers was that this bill was "anti-farmer".
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh proposed amendments in the land acquisition bill will be in larger public interest and will contribute in generating employment opportunities and strengthening financial development.
He said the existing land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 has been hampering the development process of the country and the proposed amendment will open up new avenues of growth for States like Chhattisgarh where average in national highways, railways and irrigation was less than the national average.
The Chief Minister said that projects vital to national security, development of rural infrastructure, affordable housing for poor, setting up of industrial corridors and infrastructure projects have been exempted from taking approval from the affected families under section 10 (A) of the amendment bill.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee who skipped the NITI Aayog's meeting said at Burdwan (WB) that her Government would never go for "forcible land acquisition".
She said her State was following an alternative land policy as it "cannot wait indefinitely for the Centre to come up with its land acquisition policy".
"We have framed an alternative land policy where direct purchase can be done through negotiations without any forcible acquisition," the chief minister said at the 100th administrative meeting of the Trinamool Congress Government.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take all political parties on board for the proposed land law. Referring to the perception created about the changes in land Acquisition Act of 2013 being anti-farmer, Sayeed asked Prime Minister to take all political parties on board, including the opposition which has raised concerns over the changes recommended in the Act.
"Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, is not applicable in J&K," he said, while adding that J&K has been a frontrunner in bringing historic legislations on land reforms and anti-defection. "We may still want to adopt some best practices in light of the changing situation," Sayeed said at the second Governing Council meeting, chaired by Modi.