Lok Sabha passes Land Acquisition Bill

After a long debate that considered all 158 amendments, the Lok Sabha passed the Land Acquisition Bill today. A key legislation, the bill intends to bring uniformity to land purchases by the government for industrial purposes. It calls for the consent of 80 percent of land owners for acquiring land for private projects and of 70 percent landowners for public-private projects.

“I am happy that the bill has been passed,” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said.

The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha amid chaos, with the opposition parties demanding a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar.

As the house resumed following an hour-long adjournment, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh introduced the land acquisition and rehabilitation bill. He said that ten political parties had given their suggestions in writing and that he made an attempt to meet them in person and come to a consensus.

“I have tried to take everyone along be it NGOs, states, political parties, the corporate world and tried to maintain a middle path,” Ramesh said.

Disagreeing with BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s take that there is no appellate authority for the bill, the minister said, “all orders can be appealed against to the appropriate authority and even in the courts.”

Ramesh assured the House that the urgency clause will be applicable only in the scenario of national security and defence issues. Ramesh also said the bill will strictly adhere to stipulated time limits.

Due to opposition from Punjab, Haryana and Kerala, the Union minister said it was not possible to ban industrialisation on multi-crop irrigated farm land although a certain limit has been set to acquisition.

The minister said that the chief ministers of Maharashtra and West Bengal wanted the facility of land bank to be made available as per the bill. “As per the suggestion of the Standing Committee we have decided to return the land to the owners if they remain unused for five years after acquisition,” he said.

On amendments, the minister said, “I met all parties and leaders who have put forward their amendments. Two amendments were from Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, 13 from Standing Committee and rest from others. I also request the individual members to take back their amendments as most of them have already been incorporated.”

However, Ramesh admitted that no deliberation on the Wakf Board angle as raised by Asaduddin Owaisi was taken. “Asaduddin Owaisi delivered a googly. I admit that we have not discussed this matter. This is a serious matter and I shall get back to Parliament after discussion with my junior colleague,” the minister said.

With agency inputs