Govt to re-promulgate land ordinance

With the controversial land acquisition bill being referred to a joint parliamentary committee, government on Thursday said it would re-promulgate the related ordinance for the third time.

Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said there were 13 legislations which were already out of the purview of the present 2013 Land Acquisition legislation and "to include those we issued that ordinance, and now for the continuation of that ordinance if we have to issue another fresh ordinance, it would be (issued)".

Faced with stiff resistance from Opposition and allies, the National Democratic Alliance government on May 12 referred the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2015, to the joint committee for scrutiny.

It had earlier promulgated ordinance twice on the Bill since last December after it faced similar resistance.

According to officials, the government has time till the end of this month to re-issue the ordinance by an executive order. The Union Cabinet will have to ratify the re-issuance of the ordinance before it goes to the President for his assent.

The government, which could not get the ordinance converted into a legislation in Rajya Sabha during the first half of the budget session due to stiff opposition, had re-promulgated it on April 3, a day before it was to lapse.

While bringing the first ordinance last December, the government had said its decision to amend the Act was to bring under its purview 13 central legislations, including those relating to defence and national security, to provide higher compensation and rehabilitation and resettlement benefits to farmers whose land is being acquired.

According to the ordinance, provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 will be applicable for the 13 existing central pieces of legislation including the Coal Bearing Areas Acquisition and Development Act, 1957, the National Highways Act, 1956 and the Land Acquisition (Mines) Act, 1885.