PM says want Opposition cooperation; Congress unconvinced

Narendra Modi had said he was willing to make changes to the Land Acquisition Bill

Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he is willing to make changes to the land acquisition Bill, 2015, Congress leaders are sceptical about the PM’s “rhetoric translating into reality”. As no discussions have been held with the Opposition to allay their concerns on issues such as the consent clause, the social impact assessment study and the five “broad” exempted areas, the Congress has taken a wait-and-watch approach on the matter.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily told Business Standard, “So far, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led government has been far from accommodative; in fact, it has been adamant. This is the first time PM Modi has said he wants cooperation from us. Let us see how far they will go or is it only rhetoric.”

Alleging the government was trying to misrepresent the concerns of Opposition parties, Anand Sharma, deputy leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, “Finance Minister (Arun) Jaitley is selectively distorting facts. The UPA (United Progressive Alliance)’s 2013 land acquisition law also made exemptions with regard to land for defence and security purposes and for emergency provisions.”

Sharma attacked the government for a “blanket exemption” to the five broad areas without going into the specifics of the exact use. The five areas are national security and defence, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors and social infrastructure projects, including those under the public-private partnership mode, through land ownership vest with the government.

“On an issue of rural irrigation, which falls under rural infrastructure, we could reconsider, but to have a blanket exemption for all ‘rural infrastructure’ and no social impact study is not sensible,” Sharma said

The party says there has to be greater transparency and detailing of what constitutes “housing for the poor” and “affordable housing” to ensure private real estate developers do not benefit from this “loophole”.

Clarifying the Congress wouldn’t do a re-think on the all-important consent clause being exempted from all the five areas, Moily said, “We will have to see what the government has to say and what it offers when it holds an all-party meeting on the issue, as it has promised to.”

Asking why the new Bill had made an exception for land for private hospitals and private educational institutions, Sharma questioned the removal of the provision for food security, part of the 2013 Act.

While the government may want to get hurdles cleared at the earliest, the Congress led Opposition is no mood to do so until its concerns are addressed making for a likely confrontation.