With the focus now on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, scheduled for early next year, the Congress led-UPA government has once again displayed its keenness to position itself with the agitating farmers by trying to ensure the passage of the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill during the winter session of Parliament.
Assuming that the Parliamentary Standing Committee attached to his department is likely to give all stakeholders a fair time and hearing on the crucial issue, Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has requested its chairperson, Sumitra Mahajan, to submit the Committee's recommendation during the winter session itself.
Mr. Ramesh's obvious intention is to consider its recommendations, take the matter once again to the Cabinet and then get the legislation passed in the winter session.
Mr. Ramesh had drafted the integrated bill, combining the issues of land acquisition and relief and rehabilitation in less than two months in the wake of the farmers' agitation that turned violent in Uttar Pradesh.
Going with the political initiative of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ordered the MoRD to finalise the Land Acquisition Bill forthwith, hoping to take an upper hand on the issue after Chief Minister Mayawati announced her new land policy.
The Bill, after being introduced in the monsoon session, was referred to the standing committee and Mr. Ramesh immediately met Ms. Mahajan and urged her to expedite the process of consultation and submit the report during the session.
The committee issued an advertisement, inviting suggestions from all stakeholders, and promised to give the experts a hearing at a public consultation.
The standing committee, however, said it would be difficult to submit the report during the monsoon session.
Consequently, Mr. Ramesh wrote to Ms. Mahajan to consider the possibility of submitting the report during the winter session, while appreciating that the standing committee was privileged to have its own schedule.
