Govt introduces Land Ordinance Bill in Lok Sabha, Opposition walks out

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 24

Ignoring stiff resistance from the broad Congress-led Opposition and its ally the Shiv Sena, the government introduced a bill replacing the controversial land ordinance in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, triggering a walkout by the entire opposition except the TRS.

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Rural Development Minister Birender Singh introduced the Bill, which Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge opposed as “anti-poor and anti-farmer”.

The Congress slammed the government for pushing the ordinance without consulting political parties, and questioned it for not agreeing to send the ordinance to the standing committee of Parliament.

To register their opposition to the ordinance, the Congress led a walkout which the TMC, CPM, RJD, BSP and BJD joined.

Even Shiv Sena, BJP ally in the government, resisted the ordinance saying that it would hit the farmers hard.
Raju Shetty of Shiv Sena articulated his party's view, which left the BJP isolated on the issue even though Birender Singh said the government was willing to debate all aspects of the Bill.

Earlier, TMC leader Saugata Roy opposed the Bill replacing ordinance saying it was “anti-poor and anti-farmer”.

BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab said his party had objections to two amendments to the previous Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Amendment Bill passed by the previous Congress led UPA regime.

"We opposed the amendment, which removes the requirement of 70 per cent land owners' consent in many cases and another which does away with the social impact assessment clause for land acquisition," said Mahtab. 
The TMC questioned the part of the new law which dilutes the food security norms that the previous law guaranteed. In the new bill, the government has added five additional sectors for which land owner consent won't be needed in case acquisition is done.

TMC also staged a protest against the ordinance outside Parliament. Inside the House, all parties and leaders, including Congress' Sonia Gandhi were on their feet to oppose the move.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was conspicuous by his absence. Deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh came to the house today after a long absence.