Oppn wins as govt drops amendments to land Bill

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 3

In a major victory for the Congress-led Opposition protesting the controversial land Bill, the government today dropped six contentious amendments to the 2013 version of the law. It agreed to retain the requirement of consent of 80 per cent land owners, besides social impact assessment for all categories of land acquisitions.

The government also did away with the provision in the new law which allowed land acquisition for industrial corridors, including one kilometre on either side of the road.

In the meeting of the Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) reviewing the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015, today, ruling BJP members moved amendments to drop Section 10A from the Bill.

The Section 10A exempted land acquisition for five categories of projects from the requirements of consent and social impact assessment. It said, “The government may exempt any of the following projects from the provisions of consent of 80 per cent of the land owners and social impact assessment — projects vital to national security or defence, including preparation for defence or defence production; rural infrastructure, including electrification; affordable housing and housing for poor; industrial corridors set up by the appropriate government and its undertakings (in which case the land shall be acquired up to one kilometre on both sides of designated railway line or roads for such industrial corridor); and infrastructure projects, including projects under public-private partnership where the ownership of land continues to vest with the government.”

The government through ruling MPs also moved amendments today to revert to the 2013 law which said public servants violating the land Bill would be liable for prosecution. The new Bill had allowed protections for bureaucracy.

Another climbdown by Narendra Modi-led government on the land Bill relates to dropping of the term “private entity” from the 2015 Bill and reverting to the 2013 version which mentioned acquisitions only for private companies. The dilution of the government stand follows stiff resistance to land Bill not just from the Opposition but also the RSS, ruling BJP’s mentor organisation.

In the JCP meeting, the ruling BJP didn’t have a majority of 16 votes in a 30-member panel. It has 11 MPs with only TDP and LJP on board. Opposing the Bill were the Congress, NCP, TMC, SP, BSP, YSR Congress, BJD, CPM, JDU, AIADMK and the Shiv Sena.

If the government hadn’t budged, it would have lost the vote on the land Bill, embarrassing itself. BJP leader and JCP member Bhatruhari Mahtab said: “Since the government moved amendments to allow our demands when clause by clause consideration of the Bill began today, the voting wasn’t required. The decision was unanimous. This is the victory of people.”

The 2015 land Bill brought 15 amendments to the 2013 Congress version of land law. Of the nine controversial amendments, six contentious ones, including on consent, social impact assessment, private entity, industrial corridor and prosecution of civil servants were dropped.

The remaining three controversial amendments (including return of unused land after five years) will be taken up by JCP tomorrow. The JCP today got a third extension until August 7 to submit the report.