Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the opposition parties' resistance to the contentious Land Acquisition Bill is totally unjustified and unfortunate.
"Opposition to our Land Bill is totally unjustified and unfortunate. We have not made any changes for private industry. Moreover, if you have money, you don't need a Land Acquisition Act to accumulate land. Some individuals have done so in Rajasthan, Haryana, Shimla, Delhi etc," Prime Minister Modi said in an exclusive interview with ANI.
"Land acquisition becomes necessary for government-driven strategic and development activities, especially in undeveloped areas. This too is done mostly by State Governments. We have made changes only in response to demands of the States. The benefits of these changes will also accrue to the rural poor in terms of irrigation, housing, electrification, as well as better physical and social infrastructure," he added.
The Prime Minister further stated that the Congress Party was not even interested in discussing the matter.
"In this country, the Land Acquisition Act was almost 120 years old. The Congress-led Governments used the same Act after independence. Suddenly, before the last Parliamentary elections, the Congress went to another extreme by legislating an Act which is neither in the interest of farmers nor in the interest of the country's development.
Now, they are not even ready to sit and discuss," he said.
"We believe in dialogue with all political parties. I have personally appealed in Parliament that we are ready to open a dialogue with political parties and consider their suggestions. I hope that the parties will cooperate on issues of larger national importance without getting into political calculations," he added.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that the Land Acquisition Bill focuses on benefitting the farmers and balancing the long-term interests of the nation.
"The proposed Land Acquisition Bill focuses on benefitting the farmer and balancing the long-term interests of the nation. The world is changing fast. Even farmers need canals to irrigate, roads to transfer products from farms to markets. They need hospitals, schools and houses. Farmers want modern amenities in their vicinity and jobs in formal sectors for their sons and daughters," he said.
Prime Minister Modi asserted that the amendments to the previous Land Bill only aim to do away with the bureaucratic bottlenecks in the 2013 Act.
"I have always believed that if we want inclusive development, we need amenities. We need to match the development of such amenities with agricultural growth. This is what the Bill strives to do while safeguarding the interests of farmers. Our amendments only aim to do away with the bureaucratic bottlenecks in the 2013 Act. I am sure the farmers of this country will understand where their real welfare lies," he said.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, today gave its approval to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015. (ANI)
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