Land Bill: Oppn demand state govt views on amendments

They also insisted on written statements from chief secretaries of all states on the amendments proposed by the government

Opposition members sought clarifications on the amendments, including changes like employment to farm labour, industrial corridors, and removal of the five-year clause

At its first meeting on Friday, several Opposition members of the parliamentary joint committee on the contentious land Bill demanded a comprehensive inter-ministerial reply from the government on the reasons behind bringing in amendments to the 2013 land Act. Members also insisted that the committee seek written statements from chief secretaries of all states on the amendments proposed by the government.

The 30-member panel viewed a presentation by committee chairman S S Ahluwalia and secretary land resources in the rural development ministry Vandana Jena on the rationale for bringing in the amendments to the 2013 Act. It was stressed in the presentation that the state governments in their feedback pointed to several lacunae in the 2013 Act, which had led to the "urgency" in amending the Act. Senior officers from the legal department were also present.

Opposition members sought clarifications on the amendments, including on such changes like employment to farm labour, industrial corridors, and removal of the five-year clause. According to sources, one Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member even gave voice to his puzzlement at the consent clause having been done away with. Opposition members - from the Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, CPI (M) and Janata Dal (United) - stressed the committee should hear views of farmer organisations and experts, and questioned removing of the consent clause and social impact assessment.

The committee decided upon the modalities like the schedule of its sittings and that it should speak to all the stakeholders, particularly the state governments since they will implement the law. It also agreed to meet twice every week on Mondays and Tuesdays until the start of the monsoon session.

The panel is to give its report on the first day of the monsoon session. The next meetings of the panel are scheduled for June 8 and 9. The panel is hopes to have eight sittings in June, and another six in July. But the number of meetings in July might get reduced if the government advances the date of the Monsoon session from end-July to mid-July.

The meeting agreed that replies from state governments, as also from stakeholders in response to an advertisement issued earlier this month, should be collated and circulated among members when the committee sits on June 8. Stakeholders can send suggestions by June 5.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance has 14 members in the 30-member committee, including 11 of the BJP. The government has promulgated ordinances on the land Act amendments twice, while the Lok Sabha has also passed the new Bill as many times. But the Bill is yet to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha where the government is in a minority. In the budget session, the government referred the Bill to the joint committee.

It is possible that the Lok Sabha accepts the committee recommendations, while the Rajya Sabha rejects it as well as the Bill. This would pave the way for a joint sitting of Parliament. In the meantime, the cabinet is likely to repromulgate the ordinance when it expires in early June.