Centre gets cold feet on land bill; to empower states to make own laws

 It will now be <g data-gr-id="30">upto</g> individual states to pass their own laws for business-friendly land reforms. In its edition dated July 29, Millennium Post was the first to report that “Centre may empower states to unlock Land Bill.” With the Congress being adamant on its demand on no changes to the 2013 land acquisition law, BJP MP SS Ahluwalia-led Joint Parliamentary Panel currently examining the Bill may suggest that the amendments brought by the Narendra Modi government be put in the Concurrent List of the 7th schedule of the Constitution. Ahluwalia committee is expected to be out with its report by <g data-gr-id="32">end</g> of this week.

“This would enable and empower the state legislatures to bring their own land law by suitably amending the central law as per the needs of the state,” said sources, close to <g data-gr-id="38">government</g>.  As per constitutional provisions, states can pass such laws, which may have some provisions repugnant to central law, with the approval of the President.

In this case, BJP-led governments in the states would have the freedom to do away with the contentious consent clause. Whereas, Congress-led state governments, which have taken a stringent stand on this, will be left with their hands tied. The Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh has already expressed dissatisfaction with its party’s stand on the matter.

 Several regional parties especially the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa would go for it as they were losing out on <g data-gr-id="44">industrial</g> partnership on account of non-acquisition of land. Whereas, the stand taken by regional parties including Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and others, will have to be seen.

The government is withdrawing the amendments as it has been unable to get support for changes that exempted projects in five categories (like defence and industrial corridors) from needing the consent of 80% of the affected landowners. The opposition had also objected to the removal of a social impact study involving public hearings - on procedures that industry executives say may drag the acquisition process for years. Some  BJP allies like the Akali Dal and Shiv Sena too had expressed reservations.

Though the new land acquisition bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha in March, where the government has a comfortable majority, it remained stuck in the Rajya Sabha. The government issued back-to-back ordinances to introduce new law but seems to have thrown in the hat.