Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has stated that the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill will not get past the hurdle of Rajya Sabha as his party along with several others which have been opposing the changes proposed by the BJP-led NDA Government will obstruct it as many times as it is brought there.
He cited five major reasons for the Congress Party’s opposition to the amendments and termed the Modi Government as anti-farmer and pro-private companies in the matter of land acquisition.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he stated that the amendments proposed by the BJP Government would do away with clauses in the 2013 Act such as consent of 80 per cent of farmers and payment of compensation with retrospective effect in case of the farmers who did not accept it as per the 1894 Act.
Removal of the clause which stipulates that the land acquired from the farmers would go back to them if it was not utilised for the intended purpose within five years, giving rights to the Government to acquire land up to 1 km on either side of industrial corridors for handing it over to private developers and doing away with the social impact assessment were also the causes behind the Congress’ opposition to the amendments.
Naidu duo blamed
On the non-implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the former Union Minister criticised both Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. “One Naidu has betrayed A.P. in getting the special category status for getting tax incentives, while another Naidu was against completion of the Polavaram project included in the Act by taking up Pattiseema project”, he stated.
He alleged that the NDA Government was not committed to implementing the bifurcation Act in spite of three of its senior leaders – Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Sushma Swaraj – repeatedly telling Parliament when the bill was being passed claims that BJP would implement when it comes to power.
