Land Bill: BJP panel too favours 80% consent clause

NEW DELHI: Even as the NDA government seems to be determined to pass the Right to Fair Compensation & Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resettlement Bill, 2015, an internal committee of BJP has found some sticking points on the consent clause even among farmer groups sympathetic to the party.

According to top sources in BJP, the eight-member committee headed by party vice-president Satya Pal Malik has submitted its feedback to party chief Amit Shah. Though at least six out of the nine amendments made to the bill in the Lok Sabha were as a result of this committee’s feedback, one important sticking point has remained unresolved.

“Most of the representations made by farmers groups and activists to the committee wanted restitution of the clause which stipulated that 80% of land owners should give consent for acquisition before the state can step in and acquire the remaining bit for any private project,” Malik told ET.

“We haven’t submitted any written report; just given a feedback and written ideas suggested by stakeholders whom we spoke to for over 10 days,” he added. “I feel there is more propaganda around it than what is actually there. It is a fair bill, but like the rumour of grease ridden cartridges which had set off the revolt of 1857, rumours are strengthening the opposition to the bill,” he added.

For example, he added, the acquisition of land one km deep from proposed industrial corridors was being touted as a grave rip off. “Yet, provision for acquisition of land 500 metres on either side of the corridor is there in the old UPA bill too,” Satya Pal Malik added.