Land bill: With Modi government keen to push bill, BJP hopes to get RSS outfits on board

NEW DELHI: With the government keen to push the contentious land bill in the monsoon session of Parliament, the BJP is confident of resolving in-house differences in the Sangh Parivar over certain provisions of the legislation.

Allaying concerns that some provisions of the bill are "pro-corporate", the BJP leadership has told RSS affiliates that land will mostly be acquired for infrastructure projects, party sources said.

Reservations of the saffron outfits against the bill came as an embarrassment to the Modi government which is being targeted by the opposition over the issue.

Law minister Sadanand Gowda told TOI that all land along industrial corridors will be government property and will remain with the government. He said, "Only those land purchased by any private individual or industrialist will remain with them."

In order to remove misgivings over the bill, BJP chief Amit Shah, along with party general secretary Ram Madhav and general secretary (organization) Ramlal met leaders of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Sahakar Bharati, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Grahak Panchayat and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) in the last week of May.

During the day-long debate, it is learnt the BJP leaders told representatives of the affiliates that even if things moved according to the government's plan for the next 10 years, "barely 2%" of land will get acquired and the first priority will be to acquire wasteland.

The BJP leaders assured at the meeting that while acquiring land, issues like impact of environment and livelihood would be studied properly before deciding on the compensation. The party leaders said PM Narendra Modi was open to suggestions.

The party is hopeful that the affiliates will tone down their opposition to the bill after the discussions.