Despite stirs, government unlikely to make changes in land ordinance

NEW DELHI: The government is unlikely to make any change in the controversial land ordinance while bringing a bill to replace it with an Act of Parliament during the Budget session, despite widespread protests by opposition parties and farmers' groups.

The draft of the new land bill to replace the December 29 ordinance contains all the changes brought in the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, introduced by the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government in 2013.

There is also little likelihood of the government holding consultations with NGOs and farmers' organisations on the new bill before Parliament takes a view on the issue.

"The bill is in toto of what the ordinance was. What is there to talk now when the ordinance is already in place and there is no intention to bring changes in the ordinance," highly-placed sources in the Rural Development Ministry said.

The assertion assumes significance as the government is bringing the new bill to replace the land ordinance amid stiff opposition from non-NDA parties in Parliament and outside, where even some NGOs and social activists have decided to launch agitations against the move.

About 5,000 farmers from across the country have begun a march from Palwal in Haryana and will reach Jantar Mantar in the national capital in the next four days to hold a protest.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier pushed for the land act in 2013, will also address a dharna at Jantar Mantar on February 25. Congress leader and former Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh too will address a farmers' meet in Chauroli village of Gautambudh Nagar in UP on Sunday.

Noted social activist Anna Hazare, along with members of several farmers' organisations, is scheduled to hold a two-day protest against the ordinance at Jantar Mantar. The Aam Aadmi Party has also expressed willingness to join Hazare's protest beginning Monday, if the social activist wants it to do so.

The Ministry sources said the government was of the view that changes in the Land Acquisition Act were necessary as it suffered from several flaws and a number of states including those ruled by Congress had complained that land acquisition was not possible under the existing law.

In December last, the government had promulgated the ordinance making significant changes in the Land Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas -- industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.

The Ministry sources claimed that the states, in fact, wanted a much wider exemption than the Centre was prepared to accept.

The Rural Development Ministry had sought report from states on how much land was acquired by them before the ordinance was promulgated and the feedback was that most of the states could not acquire land due to complications in the existing Act.

The sources claimed that after the changes in the law, the states will have a bigger say in deciding about land acquisition for projects.

The government is likely to take the plea that the Centre is not exempting states from carrying out Social Impact Assessment (SIA) rather enabling them to take a decision as per their view and requirement in the spirit of "cooperative federalism".

Union Rural Development Minister Birender Singh has, however, maintained that government's step is in no way against the interest of farmers and any such talk is just "propaganda".

The Land Acquisition Act, 2013 stipulates mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent of land owners for acquiring land for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects and 80 per cent for acquiring land for private companies.

The Act, which replaced over a century-old law, had provisions for compensation that is up to four times the market value in rural areas and two times the market value in urban areas.