PM Narendra Modi's govt yields ground on land ordinance

Facing protests from all quarters on the land acquisition ordinance, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has agreed to do away with some of the contentious issues keeping in mind the upcoming Assembly elections.

Sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed the Union government has decided that 'consent' will be sought from any gram panchayat for land acquisition, and the amendments will be revised during discussion in Parliament .

Earlier, the Centre had amended Section 10(A) of the Land Acquisition Act to expand sectors where social impact assessment and 'consent' were not required. For five sectors, the 'consent' clause was removed. But, Opposition and activists protested, saying the ordinance is "anti-farmer" because it seeks to scrap a social impact assessment and the need for the consent of 70 per cent land owners before any agricultural land is acquired.

While the Land Acquisition Bill will be introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, BJP's parliamentary board met at Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's residence on Monday evening to discuss the strategy. Party's national president Amit Shah, and Union ministers Ananth Kumar and J.P. Nadda were present at the meeting.

According to sources, senior party leaders discussed ways to dispel the notion that government was harming the interests of farmers. Party insiders claimed that the government has decided to revise some of the changes proposed in the Amendment Bill. Sources said the government would engage with protesters, while as a strategy it will revise amendments, if any.

A top BJP leader said there were two clauses that are contentious: waiving off the consent clause; and the social impact assessment for public private partnership (PPP) projects and private companies. The ordinance had done away with the requirement of consent from landowners for PPP projects in infrastructure and social infrastructure sectors.

The Centre on Monday also sought to allay fears, saying even farmers whose land was acquired for critical projects like atomic energy and highways will get compensation.

"By bringing this ordinance we have done something which would benefit all the farmers," said Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Javadekar said, "Through the changes, rehabilitation and resettlement and compensation provisions of the Act will be applicable to Electricity Act...the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, the Petroleum & Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act and the Damodar Valley Corporation Act."

CONTENTIOUS CLAUSES

>> The Centre has amended Section 10(A) of the Land Act to expand sectors where Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and consent will not be required. The Opposition and activists say the ordinance is anti-farmer because it seeks to scrap a SIA and the need for the consent of 70 per cent land owners before agricultural land is acquired.

>> With the amendment, government or private individuals and companies will no longer need mandatory consent for land acquisition and SIA will not be applicable if the land is acquired for industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.

>> The govt's, while promulgating the ordinance in December 2014, had claimed that the ordinance would improve the ease of business and drastic changes will amount to a climb down on its reform agenda . The ordinance was aimed to kickstart investments worth billions of dollars from stalled projects.

>> The govt also needs to keep in mind the state polls in the near future. Sources claim some organisations affiliated to the RSS also have objected to the ordinance calling it antifarmer. Sources said, the govt could rethink some controversial clauses.

(Courtesy: Mail Today)