)
Calling the proposed Land Acquisition Bill 'anti-farmer', former union minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said that passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha is impossible. He said his party would continue to protest against it.
"We want implementation of Land Acquisition Bill 2013 in toto without any dilution to any provision," the senior congress leader said.
"In the present environment it would be impossible for the Land Acquisition Bill to get cleared in the Rajya Sabha, as not only opposition parties but allies of BJP like Shiv Sena and Akali Dal are opposing to it," Ramesh said.
"Prime Minister Modi has made amendments in the Land Acquisition Act 2013 through Ordinance without taking all parities into confidence or building a consensus," he said.
The senior Congress leader said the Bill has been diluted from its pro-farmer appeal. Ramesh rubbished Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that under the Land Acquisition Bill 2013, it was not possible to acquire land for hospitals, schools and roads. He clarified that the original bill introduced during the UPA regime had no restriction on acquiring land for not only government projects but for the defence sector as well.
"We are opposing the amendments on various grounds," he said, "they (BJP) have diluted the consent clause in case the land is acquired for private companies. It was mandatory to ensure consent of 80 per cent farmers and 70 per cent for projects implemented through public-private partnership route."
He further alleged they had diluted the provisions of ‘Social Impact Assessment’ for private projects.
"They have also removed a provision in the 2013 Bill that if the acquired land is not used within five years it would be returned to owner," Ramesh allegedly said, "To help private companies they have made provisions of acquisition of one-km stretch of land on either side of prominent roads which is practically impossible in India. The Congress is opposing to it."
Ramesh further said, the Congress was opposing removal of the mandatory provision to compensate four times to farmers with effect from back date. And equal compensation if the land owners were not satisfied with the award they got at the time of acquisition.
