Par panel on land gets extension till Aug to submit its report

The Joint Committee of Parliament examining the controversial land acquisition bill has been given a fresh extension till the first week of August to submit its report, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said today.
This is the second extension sought by the Committee which was originally mandated to table its report tomorrow -- on the frist day of the Monsoon session.
The panel had earlier sought extension till July 27 to submit its report.
Mahajan said yesterday she had received another letter from panel chairman S S Ahluwalia (BJP) seeking another extension till the first week of August as the committee members wanted to seek certain clarifications from the government on the amendments brought to the 2013 law.

Three secretaries who were summoned before the panel on July 16 to explain various issues had failed to turn up citing different reasons.
Sources said Ahluwalia would move a motion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday to extend the deadline for submission of report by the committee till August 3.

Indications are that the panel is unlikely to come out with its report during the Monsoon Session and could seek further extension, making it necessary for the government to re-promulgate the ordinance once again.
The ordinance was promulgated for the third time on May 31.
Sources in the government see nothing unusual in the re-promulgation of the land ordinance. They said at least 15 ordinances have been promulgated twice or more.

An ordinance, which has a life span of six months, has to be re-promulgated if it does not get the endorsement of Parliament within six weeks of the start of a session.
Monsoon session starts on July 21 and ends on August 13.
The government has so far maintained that re-promulgation was necessary for maintaining its continuity and providing a framework to compensate people whose land is acquired.