Not making land ordinance prestige issue, says Jaitley

The central government is not making the land acquisition ordinance a prestige issue and is willing to discuss it with opposition parties to iron out differences, union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said here on Saturday.

"It is not a prestige issue for us. We need to change the law of 2013 for the development of the country," Jaitley told reporters here.

His comments came a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the government of favouring industrialists in the ordinance, which she said was an "unabashed display of half truths".

The central government on Friday also decided to prorogue the Rajya Sabha where the land acquisition bill is stuck so that it can re-promulgate the ordinance on the same. The earlier one is lapsing on April 5.

Jaitley said his government has brought nine amendments in the original bill and was "still willing to sit with opposition parties who are objecting to the bill".

"If the opposition has any suggestions which would be beneficial for the country, we are ready to discuss," the minister said.