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On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi signalled firm opposition to any dilution of the land acquisition Bill, officials in the know said the government could accept a few critical changes, including setting a limit to the quantum of land that could be acquired for rural infrastructure and affordable housing without the mandatory social impact assessment (SIA) and consent clause.
However, they added the changes would be accepted only after the government exhausted all options to get an ordinance in this regard cleared in its current form. The government's efforts will include reaching out to all Opposition parties and stakeholders.
On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and senior ministers briefed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs on the government's stand. NDA allies Shiv Sena and Raju Shetty of the Shetkari Sanghatana said they were opposed to the Bill. The Sena boycotted the meeting.
Large land acquisitions (beyond the prescribed limit) will continue to attract the provisions of SIA and need for the consent of landowners. This could enable the Bill to have greater acceptance among the Opposition. For public-private partnership (PPP) projects and acquisition by private companies, the Centre might also consider dilution in the Bill.
The Bill to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Rural Development Minister Birender Singh on Tuesday. The government had, on Monday, tabled an ordinance in this regard in the lower House.
The government's stand to accept some critical changes to the Bill has resulted from the Opposition sensing an opportunity to corner it in the crucial Budget session. While Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav warned of serious consequences if the Bill was cleared in its current form, the Congress staged a walkout when the Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar termed the Bill a "black law" and demanded its immediate recall.
Social activist Anna Hazare, who is agitating against the Bill at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, was on Tuesday joined by his long-time associate and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a known opponent of the ordinance.
Meanwhile, Amit Shah, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has constituted an eight-member committee to seek the opinion of farmers on the changes incorporated in the land bill through the ordinance.
Among the changes the government is willing to accept is tweaking the wording of some provisions to leave their enforcement to state governments. "For some specific provisions such as waiving the SIA and consent clause for PPP projects and acquisition by private companies, some changes could be considered, which will put the onus on state governments," said a senior official said.
The ordinance to amend the land acquisition Act, 2013, was cleared by the Union Cabinet in December last year. The amendments relaxed the requirement of SIA and consent clause for five segments, including rural infrastructure, affordable housing, defence and social infrastructure through the PPP mode, where land ownership rested with the government.
It also eased norms for acquisition of land by private companies. However, the quantum of compensation and some relief and rehabilitation measured weren't changed.
Following the Cabinet nod to the ordinance, an official statement had said, "Due to the prolonged procedure for land acquisition, the farmer is not able to benefit nor is the project completed in time for the benefit of society at large."
EAR TO THE GROUND
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Govt might accept some critical changes in the land Act only as the last resort
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The changes include limiting the quantum of land that can be acquired with the social impact assessment and consent clause
With inputs from Archis Mohan
