All-party meet fails to reach consensus on land Bill
8 March 2013 12:52 AM GMT
The all-party meet on the land acquisition Bill failed to arrive on a consensus on Thursday, with leaders of various party voicing concern over the legislations proposed in the land Bill. During the meeting, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley was of the opinion that a balance should be maintained between industrial growth and protecting the interests of the farmers.
Whereas Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said while the population is increasing putting more pressure on land, multi-crop yielding agricultural land should not be used for housing and other purposes. He also said that in case of acquisition the son of a farmer should be employed.
In the meeting rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said that the amendments to the Bill have come down to 28 and the government is confident of its smooth passage in the on-going session. The government has decided to send the draft of the proposed legislation to the leaders concerned for perusal and discuss their suggestions in the next meeting. The next meeting will be held on 20 March.
The Left parties, which had earlier moved over a hundred amendments to the Bill, said the government had recently circulated over 180 amendments, most of which had not been recommended by the Standing Committee.
‘This makes it a fit case for referring the legislation to the Standing Committee or the Select Committee, which can study these amendments and submit a report to the House in the on-going Budget session itself after the break,’ said CPM’s Basudeb Acharia. Sharad Yadav (JD-U) echoed these sentiments and said fertile agricultural land should not be acquired for housing and industrialisation.
Trinamool Congress, however, was opposed to sending the Bill again to a Parliamentary panel. ‘We support the recommendations of the Standing Committee...Let us not waste time in sending back and forth the Bill to a committee,’ said TMC leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay. He also added that they are against forcible acquisition of any kind.
Whereas Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said while the population is increasing putting more pressure on land, multi-crop yielding agricultural land should not be used for housing and other purposes. He also said that in case of acquisition the son of a farmer should be employed.
In the meeting rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said that the amendments to the Bill have come down to 28 and the government is confident of its smooth passage in the on-going session. The government has decided to send the draft of the proposed legislation to the leaders concerned for perusal and discuss their suggestions in the next meeting. The next meeting will be held on 20 March.
The Left parties, which had earlier moved over a hundred amendments to the Bill, said the government had recently circulated over 180 amendments, most of which had not been recommended by the Standing Committee.
‘This makes it a fit case for referring the legislation to the Standing Committee or the Select Committee, which can study these amendments and submit a report to the House in the on-going Budget session itself after the break,’ said CPM’s Basudeb Acharia. Sharad Yadav (JD-U) echoed these sentiments and said fertile agricultural land should not be acquired for housing and industrialisation.
Trinamool Congress, however, was opposed to sending the Bill again to a Parliamentary panel. ‘We support the recommendations of the Standing Committee...Let us not waste time in sending back and forth the Bill to a committee,’ said TMC leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay. He also added that they are against forcible acquisition of any kind.
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