Joint panel on land gets extension till August 3 to submit report

NEW DELHI: The Joint Committee of Parliament examining the controversial land acquisition bill was today given extension by the Lok Sabha till August 3 to submit its report.

A motion moved by panel chairman S S Ahluwalia was adopted by voice vote amid din over Lalit Modi controversy.

Ahluwalia had approached the Lok Sabha Speaker twice for the extension. The Committee was originally mandated to table its report yesterday -- on the first day of the Monsoon session.

The panel had earlier written to the Speaker seeking extension till July 27 to submit its report. But on July 19, Ahluwalia sought time till August 3.

Now the committee has to submit its report on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 "upto the first day of the third week of current Session of Parliament (Monsoon Session 2015)", which is August 3.

The committee sought extension as members wanted to seek certain clarifications from the government on the amendments brought to the 2013 law.

Three secretaries who were summoned before the panel on July 16 to explain various issues had also failed to turn up citing different reasons.

Indications are that the panel is unlikely to come out with its report during the Monsoon Session and could seek a further extension, making it necessary for the government to re-promulgate the ordinance once again.

The ordinance was promulgated for the third time on May 31.

Justifying the re-promulgation, sources in the government say there is nothing unusual in the re-promulgation of the land ordinance. They said at least 15 ordinances have been promulgated twice or more.

An ordinance, which has a life span of six months, has to be re-promulgated if it does not get the endorsement of Parliament within six weeks of the start of a session.

Monsoon session ends on August 13.

The government has so far maintained that re-promulgation was necessary for maintaining its continuity and providing a framework to compensate people whose land is acquired.