Realising that it would not be able to muster the numbers to ensure the passage of its key land Bill in the Rajya Sabha, the Government has decided to send the legislation to a joint panel of the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha members, headed by a ruling party MP.
This even as the Government on Monday introduced the contentious Bill amid Opposition’s strong protests and after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected the contention of parties like the Congress, TMC, BJD and left that the measure was “pending” in the Rajya Sabha and their questioning of its introduction.
The Government is expected to bring a motion in the lok Sabha for setting up of an over 30-member joint committee to examine the land Bill. The motion could then be taken to the Rajya Sabha to approve names in the committee from the Upper House.
The Government will also take a final call on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, which is likely to be sent to a Select Committee, after the BJP holds its Parliamentary Party meet on Tuesday. The GST Bill was approved by the lok Sabha on Wednesday after a walkout by the Congress, whose floor managers in the Rajya Sabha have made it clear to the Government that their party would not back the Bill without referring it to a Select Committee.
The Congress has, however, assured the Government that it will support the Bill for passage in the next session and it could then be brought even as early as on the last day of the first week of the Monsoon session.
The Select Committee on GST could have either 15 or 21 members headed again by a BJP MP. While AIADMK is the only party to have declared its opposition to the economic reform measure, the Congress is insisting that it should be sent to a Select Committee for examining the changes that were brought into it by the NDA dispensation.
The Opposition termed the land legislation ‘anti-farmer’ and members of the Congress and some other parties staged a walkout.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the Speaker has discretion but those powers should be used “judiciously” and urged her not to allow the introduction of the Bill and alleged that the Bill was not in the interests of farmers.
Raju Shetti of Swabhimani Paksha party, which is an ally of the NDA Government, also opposed the Bill claiming the consent clause has been diluted.
The Speaker said there was not rule barring a Bill on the same subject passed by the lok Sabha, pending in the Rajya Sabha. “There is no Bill identical to the one being proposed that is pending”, Mahajan said and put the introduction of the Bill for voting of the House.
Before this, the Congress members along with those from TMC, AAP and left parties, led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, staged a walk-out.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Government was not going to pass the Bill on Monday but was only introducing it.
After the voting, the ‘Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Second Bill, 2015’ (the official title of the land acquisition bill) was introduced by Rural Development Minister Birender Singh.
Earlier, Bhartruhari Mahatab (BJD) questioned the Government as why the Bill was being introduced again and sought to know where was the earlier Bill in this regard if it was not pending. Responding to this, Birender Singh said both the earlier Bills were with him as he is in charge of the concerned department.
Saugata Roy (TMC), NK Premachandran (RSP) and MB Rajesh (CPM) also raised objections to the Bill.