The Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's pet initiative the new land acquisition bill is now stuck between two ministries and, therefore, may not be tabled in the current session of Parliament. The point of contention between the commerce ministry and the rural development ministry is the provision about land acquired under the Special Economic Zone Act [SEZ Act], 2005, in the redrafted Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement [LARR] Bill.
The Ministry of Commerce has expressed reservations on including SEZs in the LARR Bill. In its comment to the rural development ministry, the commerce ministry has said that SEZs should be excluded from the LARR Bill, as it may harm the investor sentiment.
SEZs were, in fact, excluded from the bill which was tabled in Parliament last year. In the redrafted bill that has been prepared by the rural development ministry, the consent of the stakeholders of the land to be acquired is required before the acquisition can take place even for the purpose of SEZs.
Sources also indicate that it is highly unlikely that the bill will be tabled in this session of Parliament, because of the inter-ministerial differences over the bill. Sources say that a cabinet note has been prepared that has incorporated suggestions from various ministries on the LARR Bill, but with the cabinet meet being cancelled for this week, the note will come up for discussion only next week.
The land acquisition bill introduced in Parliament last year exempted land acquired under 16 central acts from its provisions, but the standing committee on land bill had said that this would then leave out 95% of land acquired from the purview of the bill. Now, in the redrafted bill, the LARR Bill will apply to the Work of Defence Act, the SEZ Act and the Cantonment Act.
The land acquisition bill was aggressively pushed by Gandhi in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. At the public rallies that he addressed, he mentioned that the UPA government was keen to bring the land acquisition bill, but it was the opposition parties that had stalled it. At the time of the Uttar Pradesh election, the bill was being studied by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
The Ministry of Commerce has expressed reservations on including SEZs in the LARR Bill. In its comment to the rural development ministry, the commerce ministry has said that SEZs should be excluded from the LARR Bill, as it may harm the investor sentiment.
SEZs were, in fact, excluded from the bill which was tabled in Parliament last year. In the redrafted bill that has been prepared by the rural development ministry, the consent of the stakeholders of the land to be acquired is required before the acquisition can take place even for the purpose of SEZs.
Sources also indicate that it is highly unlikely that the bill will be tabled in this session of Parliament, because of the inter-ministerial differences over the bill. Sources say that a cabinet note has been prepared that has incorporated suggestions from various ministries on the LARR Bill, but with the cabinet meet being cancelled for this week, the note will come up for discussion only next week.
The land acquisition bill introduced in Parliament last year exempted land acquired under 16 central acts from its provisions, but the standing committee on land bill had said that this would then leave out 95% of land acquired from the purview of the bill. Now, in the redrafted bill, the LARR Bill will apply to the Work of Defence Act, the SEZ Act and the Cantonment Act.
The land acquisition bill was aggressively pushed by Gandhi in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. At the public rallies that he addressed, he mentioned that the UPA government was keen to bring the land acquisition bill, but it was the opposition parties that had stalled it. At the time of the Uttar Pradesh election, the bill was being studied by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.