Jairam Ramesh trashes govt move to issue notification for Land bill

The Congress leader scoffed at the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi's nod to the executive order

Reacting sharply to the government’s reported move to issue a notification to ensure continuity of the provisions of the land Ordinance, which is set to lapse on Monday, former rural development minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said it would amount to insulting Parliament.

“If the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government was to go through the notification route, it would amount to rubbing salt into Parliament and bypassing it. The ideal situation for the government would be to issue an ordinance only for the 13 central laws so that the compensation, relief and rehabilitation under them can be at par with the 2013 land Act.”

Scoffing at Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi’s nod to the executive order route, Ramesh said, “It can be safely said that the AG’s view is the view that the finance minister told him during their walks in Lodhi Garden.”

Apparently, there were differing views in the government over what route to adopt — the law ministry being in favour of re-promulgation of the ordinance, while the AG’s opinion was different.

Section 105 of the 2013 land Act made it incumbent for the 13 Central laws related to highways, railways, power sector, etc to be amended by December 2014 so that the acquisition provisions under it could be at par with the 2013 United Progressive Alliance’s land acquisition Act.

Accusing the NDA government of laxity, Ramesh said, “From May 26, 2014 to December 2014, for seven months the government slept. On December 31, the government issued the land Ordinance on the plea of bringing 13 Central acts under it.”

He said the government should go for an ordinance and then approach Parliament to ratify it during the next session. “This government believes in bypassing Parliament,” said Ramesh.

The Congress and other opposition parties had ensured in the joint committee scrutinising the land Bill that the government capitulate to their demands and make a return to the 2013 law.

Commenting on the government’s strategy in view of an obdurate Opposition, and the government preferring to leave crucial legislative decisions for later, Ramesh said, “The Narendra Modi government is probably waiting for July 2016 when the Congress won’t be 68 members in the Rajya Sabha and the party’s strength will be scaled down to about 40.”

According to him, the Modi government’s belief that regional parties would support it is erroneous.

“Even in the Lok Sabha where they (NDA government) are in majority, the Shiv Sena, the Akali Dal, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the Biju Janata Dal were not with them on the land Bill.”