Shiv Sena denies joining Opposition camp against Land Bill

MP Anand Adsul says party has objections to some clauses but is not totally opposed to the Bill

Shiv Sena MP and party chief whip in the Lok Sabha Anand Adsul on Wednesday denied the party had joined the opposition camp and was against the land acquisition Bill in Parliament.

Adsul, however, told Business Standard: “Shiv Sena is a BJP ally in NDA. The party is not against the land acquisition Bill per se but it has strong objections against some of the clauses. The party has submitted amendments to the Bill to the joint committee headed by BJP MP S S Ahluwalia. I went to the house of NCP president Sharad Pawar, who is also the joint committee's member, on his invite but was not aware other opposition members would be there.”

He alleged that the news about the Shiv Sena joining the opposition was nothing but NCP’s political strategy to malign his party's image.

Shiv Sena had submitted amendments with regard to the provisions pertaining to the consent of farmers, carrying out social impact assessment study, providing due compensation to the farmers including stakes in the development projects. He recalled that Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had already sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarifying that the land acquisition Bill cannot be at the cost of the farmers.

A Shiv Sena MP, who did not want to be quoted, said the party had in its representation to the joint committee categorically said if any land was acquired, consent of 70 per cent of the land-holders should be mandatory. “With regard to the provision relating to the acquisition of land up to one km on either side of a designated railway line or road for industrial corridors, the party wants farmers' views to be taken into consideration and they should be given stakes in upcoming projects.”

The MP said if the present provision remained, nearly 450,000 hectares would have to be acquired on either side of a designated railway or road for the upcoming Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor project alone. “Such large-scale acquisition without farmers being taken on board is not acceptable to Shiv Sena. Farmers should be given an opportunity to air their views.”