Faced with resistance to its land Acquisition Bill, the Modi Government is likely to extend some concessions to the Opposition by way of taking out social infrastructure projects from the purview of the exempted list. It is also willing to “explain” and “detail” the five heads of exempted categories, including National Security, under which the “consent” of owners is not necessary for acquiring the land. The land Bill was moved in lok Sabha on Monday with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu indicating that his Government was willing to consider further amendments “to ensure minimum land acquisition” based on the views and suggestion of the Opposition parties. The lower House will vote on the Bill on Tuesday. It is expected to be passed with amendments in the lok Sabha, where the BJP is in an overwhelming majority. But the real test will be in the Upper House, where the ruling party doesn’t enjoy the numbers.
Meanwhile, the Government reached out to the BJD for its support on the land Bill. Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal met Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar and sources said the Centre was not averse to accepting BJD’s demands for changes in mines Bill for old mines. Cutting across party lines, the Opposition including Congress, Trinamool, left, BJD, AIADMK and AAP launched a tirade against the Bill which was moved for consideration and passing by Rural Development Minister Birender Singh. They termed the Bill as “anti-farmer, anti-poor and pro-corporate”. BJP’s ally Shiv Sena too joined the anti-Bill chorus.
Several Opposition members particularly opposed the Government’s move to do away with Section 2 and 3A of the existing land Acquisition law which provides for social impact assessment before land transfer and safeguarding the interest of farmers. In a bid to reconcile the varied views, the Government and Opposition parties earlier met at Naidu’s office... ahead of the commencement of the Parliament session and discussed the controversial provisions. Apart from Naidu, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, senior BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab and other senior Opposition leaders attended the discussion.
Sources said while Sharad Pawar is said to have expressed concern over the difficulty in developing Mumbai’s slums given the consent clause hurdles thus indicating his party’s “softening of stance” on the issue, the Congress indicated it will not accept any dilution of its Bill but is not averse to the Ordinance route, if opted by the Government. A senior leader, who attended the meeting, said another view emerging in the meeting is that if the impasse continues, the Bill should go to the Standing Committee. The Congress has decided to vote against the Bill if its demand for sending it to the Standing Committee or presenting it in the current form is not accepted.
Sources said the Government agreed “to explain” and “detail” five exempted categories where consent was not required. The five categories relate to national security or Defence, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors, infrastructure and social infrastructure. While intervening in the debate in the lok Sabha, Naidu maintained that the Government could take out social infrastructure projects from the exempted five categories.
Besides, he said the Government could consider States coming out with land banks of vacant lands for acquisition for development projects, hassle free mechanism for redressal of grievances of land losers and mandatory employment for losers of livelihoods on account of land acquisition. He said that the Minister of Rural Development would move official amendments in this regard.
During his 40 minute intervention, Naidu asserted that the Government’s decision to issue an Ordinance on land acquisition was not a unilateral one but was based on the suggestions and views of all the States, reflecting their collective yearning for an enabling legislation that will not block development.
He referred extensively to the views and suggestions made by the States at a Conference organised by the Government in June, 2015 and letters written by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithivraj Chavan and former Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, expressing serious reservations about the adverse consequences of the land Acquisition Act of 2013.
Appealing for a practical approach, Naidu noted that experience has shown that it would be next to impossible to complete infrastructure projects like laying of new railway lines in five years and hence, an amendment has been proposed in this regard. Reacting to the suggestion of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge to refer the Bill to the Standing Committee, Naidu said that much time is not available since the land Ordinance lapses by April 5, 2015 and the same is to be replaced by an Act of Parliament by March 20.
Participating in the discussion, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the law in its present form would allow private entities to take away multi-crop land, which will put at stake food security of the people of the country. “Is the Government trying to reduce this country to an importer of foodgrainsIJ If this Bill gets passed, farmers will give up all expectations from this country,” Scindia said.