Opposition parties join hands to move motion in Rajya Sabha for sending Land bill to select panel

NEW DELHI: The government’s hopes of replacing the ordinance on Land Acquisition with a legislation this session has hit a wall with Congress, Left parties, TMC and other Opposition parties joining hands to move a motion in the Rajya Sabha for sending the bill to a select committee of the Upper House. Congress, CPM, CPI, TMC, JD(U), RJD, SP, BSP, DMK and some other parties have decided that once the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015, is introduced in the Rajya Sabha, after it is passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, they would demand that it be sent to a Select Committee according to a senior Opposition source.

“We have already conveyed this to the government and are working on who would move the motion to demand that the bill be sent to a select committee,” a senior Opposition leader from the Rajya Sabha told ET. BJP is confident of support of Shiv Sena, LJP and AIADMK, who are not part of the group demanding that the bill be sent to a select committee.

Government sources said it was confident of winning over BJD too, before the bill is put to vote. However, during the debate in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Shiv Sena and BJD opposed the bill. As per the rules, the motion for sending a bill to a select committee can be moved by any member. The panel will have proportionate representation of the House.

Though the Lok Sabha is likely to pass the land bill on Tuesday, government sources conceded that there appears to be no option but to bow to the Opposition demand in the Rajya Sabha as NDA is in a minority in the House. SP may support the bill if certain alterations are made. “We are opposed to some provisions.”