Why no SIA, consent in land acquired for Vadra: Gadkari

Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday accused the Congress of double standards on the land bill, asking why it did not think about social impact assessment (SIA) and consent clauses while acquiring large tracts in Haryana for party chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra.

"Then, the Congress did not think of SIA and consent when Vadra was given land in Haryana? But when it comes to amendments made for farmers, the Congress opposes with an eye on the national votebank. This is double standards," he told reporters here, after inaugurating a series of infrastructure projects across the state being undertaken under the aegis of his ministry.

Gadkari also said that the then United Progressive Alliance government had similarly failed to pay heed to the SIA and consent clauses when it allotted coal mines.

He claimed that the same opposition leaders who in public and on television vehemently oppose the land bill, in private, concede that the legislation is good for the country.

Gadkari also blamed the media for being critical of the legislation, which has been vehemently opposed by the several political parties, some of which are a part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance government.

"You should understand that farmers are not opposing this, but some media friends in their newspapers are misunderstanding these issues, but they are being cleared now," he said, expressing confidence of passing the act when the Rajya Sabha reconvenes on April 23.

The bill which amends the 2013 law passed by the UPA has been passed by Lok Sabha but is stuck in the upper house of parliament where the Narendra Modi government lacks a majority.