Opposition in Rajya Sabha seeks to corner Government on new land bill

NEW DELHI: Opposition members in Rajya Sabha today sought to corner the government on the new land bill, specially the consent clause, as the government said it was not possible to return 50 per cent of developed land to farmers after acquiring it.

Members of several parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, raised several issues to attack the government on the issue while participating in a debate on agrarian crisis and the suicide by farmers affected by recent hailstorm and unseasonal rains.

Replying to a question on the revised land bill, Rural Development Minister Birender Singh said the new bill proposes to give back 20 per cent of developed land to farmers whose land has been acquired.

"Providing them 50 per cent of developed land is not possible," he said, adding that the new bill provides that 20 per cent of developed land will be given to farmers who have to then return the amount of compensation granted for it.

"A farmer can start a new work or business from the compensation he gets after his land is acquired," he said.

As Birender Singh, a former Congress member, batted for the new land bill, opposition members put forth some contentious questions seeking to corner the government.

Ahmed Patel (Cong) sought to pin down the government asking whether it has removed the consent clause for acquisition of land for issues of national security and for improving irrigation facilities.

"Do you have an action plan for this," he questioned, to which the Minister said government will resort to acquiring irrigation land only under "extra-ordinary" circumstances.

Patel also sought to know which one of them - Rural Development Minister Birender Singh or Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari -- was the concerned minister in this regard.