Government may repromulgate land ordinance by proroguing Parliament

NEW DELHI: With land acquisition ordinance set to lapse on April 5, the government appears to be heading towards its repromulgation amid indications that at least one of the Houses could be prorogued for the purpose.

Parliament is currently on a month-long recess during the ongoing Budget session. At least one of the Houses has to be prorogued if Parliament is in session to issue an ordinance.

The repromulgated ordinance will carry the nine official amendments moved by the government during passage of the bill which sought to replace the executive order.

Sources said that senior ministers assigned with the responsibility to consult leaders of different political parties have reached out to key leaders and the government will try its best to bring land bill in Rajya Sabha to replace the Ordinance in the second half of the Budget session, which convenes on April 20.

"We may repromulgate the ordinance soon after April 5 to ensure it does not lapse," a government functionary said.

The Union Cabinet yesterday gave ex-post facto approval to the amendments agreed to by the government in the Lok Sabha.

"We had given some amendments. The Cabinet has given post facto approval to those amendments," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said yesterday.

There is a buzz in government circles that the ruling dispensation may accept some tweaking in consent clause, which was done away with in the ordinance. It may agree to reintroduce the provision of taking farmers' consent to acquire land. The earlier 80 per cent consent can be reduced to 51 per cent.

Similarly, instead of the earlier social impact assessment (SIA), government may involve expert groups to examine the land deals to find out whether excess land has been acquired for a project and whether it has affected the original inhabitants.