The contentious land acquisition Bill will be tabled in Parliament in the Budget Session that resumes on Monday after a broad consensus emerged at an all-party meeting on Thursday. The breakthrough was achieved after the Government conceded BJP’s demands to provide 50 per cent of the enhanced compensation to original land owners.
The Government has also agreed to pass an enabling provision for leasing of land instead of acquisition by the State Government so that farmers could get annual income.
However, UPA’s former allies DMK and Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued their opposition to the Bill. While TMC termed the Bill anti-federal, the DMK skipped the meeting opposing any role of the Government in acquisition of land for private parties. Though some of the concerns of CPI(M) have been accepted by the Government about not diluting the resettlement and rehabilitation provisions later, the party said that it would move amendment to the Bill once it comes for passage in Parliament.
leader of Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said that majority of the 12 points raised by the BJP has been accepted by the Government. The BJP wanted 50 per cent compensation to the original farmers whose land has been purchased after the introduction of the Bill in the lok Sabha in September 5, 2011.
Raising the issue in the meeting, Swaraj said the “land mafia” was in land buying spree in many parts of the country after the introduction of the Bill anticipating that the measure will be passed soon and they can reap benefits. If it happens, the farmers who have sold land at a lesser price will not be benefitted from the land Acquisition Act, she said and asked the Government to have a provision specifying that there will be sharing of 50 per cent benefit with the original farmers.
Regarding another suggestion of BJP that land should be leased instead of acquired, the government pointed out that being a State subject it could just pass an enabling provision for States.