Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani has termed the rollback on the land Acquisition Bill a setback
for industries and investment atmosphere in the country and pressed for the need
to develop a model to be
followed by the States on
this issue.
“I feel that the step of the Center on land issue is unfortunate and has come as setback for industries. If industrialisation would not happen then how the GDP would grow, investment would comeIJ In my views, the States should be authorised for their specific regulations related to land acquisition which also take care of adequate compensation for farmers and land losers,” said the MP who is representing Jharkhand second time in succession in the Parliament.
Notably, the amendment done in the Act passed by the UPA through Ordinance had generated storm in the tea cup of the national politics. Despite doing its best the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had to jettison the idea midway with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing an end for the Ordinance.
Nevertheless, Nathwani, considered close to the BJP, blamed the previous UPA regime for the bad name the land acquisition provisions had gathered.
“The terms land acquisition got infamous when farmers land in Gurgaon and Noida went to builders. That was the reason why the UPA brought such a stringent Bill in the end. But, it is not practical for industries. We acquired 20,000 acres in Gujarat for our refinery without any hustle,” added the MP, who was talking to the media informally on Tuesday.
Talking about Jharkhand, Nathwani said that more time should be given to the newly formed Government to prove its mettle.
“I met the Chief Minister and requested him to market the brand Jharkhand so that more investment can come and correct picture about the potentials of the State is presented. He said that his Government is working on policy fronts and after few months, investment fairs would be organised nationally and even internationally. There is lots of potential in the State and if developed properly it should not remain like a poor State.”
He at the same time also expressed displeasure over non-operational MoUs and sought to cancel such
agreements. “But I hope that now things would be different in the light of policies in place. We have far better atmosphere now after political stability came to Jharkhand,” said Nathwani.
He on the occasion also presented a cheque of `25,000 to family members of late Basudev Mahto of Hazaribagh, who was among the ten pilgrims got killed in the Deoghar stampede
taken place during the Shravani Mela.