Crop failure in North India forces Modi government to go slow on Land Bill

Rising rural distress and massive crop failure across North India has forced the Modi Govt to go slow on the contentious issue of Land Bill. The Govt feels the current timing is not opportune for the Land Bill to be pushed through in the current session of Parliament. Top sources in the Government tell ET Now that the land bill will only be taken up in the next session of the Parliament. The move is aimed to ensure that the Govt does not get an anti farmer image given the present timing due to massive crop failure and the ill fated suicide of a farmer during an AAP rally last week. The move is also meant to ensure other legislative business of the government in the current session which includes the GST Bill and the Black Money Bill is not compromised. Given that the ordinance , which was re promulgated on the 5th of April, has a 6 month timeline, sources say the Govt has the elbow room to push the Land Bill till the next session of Parliament.

Opposition parties, led by Congress, have led protests against the Land Bill, which they say protect corporates' interests at the cost of farmers interests. In fact Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will conduct a nation wide 'padyatra' against the Land Bill, starting with Vidarbha- the region most effected by crop failure and has already reported several farmer suicides.