land Bill shifts to Winter Session

The controversial land Acquisition Bill will not come to Parliament before the Winter Session as the Joint Committee of Parliament on Monday decided to seek more time to finalise its report after the Congress and TMC sought more time to study certain clauses.The decision to seek further extension till the first week of the Winter Session came after a sharp exchange of words between the BJP and the Congress as the latter was opposed to any changes in the retrospective clause of the Bill dealing with compensation of land acquired under the 1894 Act, which was replaced by the 2013 law passed by the UPA Government.

Giving in to the demands by Congress and TMC members for more time to study certain clauses threadbare, panel chairman SS Ahluwalia decided that the Committee should not submit its report in this Session ending on August 13 and instead do so in the first week of the Winter Session.

Monday’s meeting was expected to evolve consensus on three key provisions including the one on return of unutilised land to its owners after five years and the retrospective clause. However, only the retrospective clause was taken up briefly during which the Congress members vociferiously opposed any change in provision 24 (2) of the UPA  Act, which has been diluted in the NDA Bill.

Sources in the panel said former Rural Development Minister and Congress member on the committee Jairam Ramesh walked out in a huff when told that his party was engaging in “delaying tactics”. However, Ahluwalia is learnt to have later persuaded Ramesh to return to the meeting.

The UPA law stated the land Acquisition Act, 1894 will continue to apply where an award has already been made. However, if such an award was made five years or more before the enactment of The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (lARR) Act, 2013 and physical possession of land had not been taken or compensation not paid, the UPA law will apply.