Chouhan driving force behind BJP seeking changes in Land Bill

The driving force behind BJP seeking fresh amendments to the Land Acquisition Bill in the Rajya Sabha after supporting it in Lok Sabha is Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who convinced the party leadership of the need for these changes, sources said.
Chouhan had come to Delhi last Sunday with his team of bureaucrats and met the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Party Chief L K Advani and Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad to persuade them that some amendments are required in the Land Acquisition Bill.

Based on the hurdles faced by his government in Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan suggested amendments to the Bill to make it more "fool-proof".
"Chouhan suggested that no land, where irrigation projects or commercial projects are established, should be acquired under the new law. Similarly, no land on which irrigation projects are on-going should be brought under the Land Acquisition Act," a BJP leader said.
Other amendments suggested by Chouhan are that instead of providing only land for acquired land, cash compensation can also be provided. Chouhan's government had faced several problems in providing land for land as those being compensated made several demands regarding fertility of the new land, its cost and so on. Most of them were egged on by NGOs to make these demands, party sources claimed.

Chouhan pointed to "flaws" in the Land Acquisition Bill after his team of bureaucrats drew his attention to them.

Swaraj and Jaitley took up these amendments with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, who has moved the Bill, and Law Minister Kapil Sibal. Sources said the government has agreed to incorporate these amendments to the Bill.
The Land Acquisition Bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha takes it up for debate and passage tomorrow.
Once it is passed by the Upper House, it will be sent back to the Lok Sabha to include these fresh amendments.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders maintain that though this Bill "outsources executive functions of land acquisition to NGOs" as they will have an overwhelming say in the matter, the party is supporting it as it does not wish to be seen as being anti-farmer.