Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadakari strongly defended the clauses in the land Acquisition Bill and termed it necessary for decent lives of billions of farmers in the country living in deprivation. He instead critised the Opposition parties for creating gung-ho on the matter just for their political survival.
Speaking in an idea exchange programme on the issue here on Monday, Gadkari labelled the provision under the law especially beneficial for the States like Jharkhand. “Over 18 per cent of the land acquired in the country is for irrigation projects. If the consent clause is kept into this, no land holder whose land is going to be acquired for ponds or barrages would agree. In this way, no a single irrigation project would come up in Jharkhand where irrigation percentage is as low as 18 per cent of the total land,” argued the Union Minister.
The Center has brought Ordinance to amend some of the provisions in the land Acquisition Bill that the lok Sabha has passed. Though, it could not be presented in the Rajya Sabha amid stiff opposition. Mentioning about the additions the BJP-led Government has made to the Bill brought by the previous Congress Government in regard to necessary consent clause and social impact assessment study, Gadkari said that just five more purposes had been added keeping in mind infrastructural growth and wellbeing of the farmers and poor.
“There were 13 laws under which land can be acquired without taking prior consent of the land holders and without conducting social impact studies. We have added five more into that and those are land for defense establishments, rural electrification and rural infrastructure, infrastructure and social infrastructure, industrial corridor and affordable housing for poor. Anyone can understand the requirement of land for these purposes for which collecting consent and conducting study would be a time consuming process and cannot be allowed in larger interest,” he said.
Gadkari instead denounced the disagreement on the issue saying that farmers had been exploited due to poor price of their produce in the want of better connectivity from the villages and termed it one of the major factors behind their underdevelopment so far. He also hailed works done by the earlier BJP Government at the Center for undertaking rural roads under PMGSY and four-laning of highways.
“Opposition parties are hawking that our Government is working for big corporate. It is a complete falsehood. When there is no convincement, confusion is created. One kilometer of land both sides of highway or rail line has been kept for industrial corridors. The corridor would attract industries based on local farm produce which would generate employment besides additional income to the farmers. Are irrigation projects, rural infrastructure, electrification etc for corporate,” asked the Minister. The Minister assured that no provision of land acquisition for private education institutions or universities has been kept in the Bill but for Government schools.
At the same time Gadkari mentioned the provision of consent clause and social impact assessment for land taken for industries if any State Government wants to do so as land is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution for which the States have power make rules. lashing out the Congress and left parties who are the most vocal against the Bill, Gadkari said that their cry was to create fear factor.
“Why Sonia Gandhi did not go for consent and social impact assessment when the UPA dolled out land in Haryana to her son-in-law Robert Vadra and mines and spectrums to big corporate housesIJ Does the left know how lands had been acquired in Russia and China under the Communist regimesIJ They are just spreading fear among the common man so that their politics continue. But this sheer day dream which is not going to come true for next 20-25 years,” he said terming those parties anti-development and claimed that none of the farmer whose land is going to be taken under the Act is worried.
Gadkari at the same time also termed tenure of the Narendra Modi Government at the Center dent-free thus far. He also pulled SP and other socialist minded parties for giving tickets to their family members for which Ram Manohar lohia was completely opposed to.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das said that ultimate goal of the Modi Government is inclusive growth which has made the Opposition issue less. “Now they are finding fault in the land acquisition Bill while the country has seen a rebirth in the leadership of the BJP,” said Das on today that was also the foundation day of the party. Former CM Arjun Munda said that the BJP Governments are working to make India a world power.