Congress, CPI (M), JD(U) for 'total withdrawal' of Land Bill proposed by Centre

New Delhi: Congress, CPI-M and JD-U have sought a "total withdrawal" of proposed changes by the NDA government in the 2013 Land Act and inclusion of some additional measures to further strengthen the law in favour of farmers.

In their suggestions on the proposed amendments in the 2015 land bill brought by Modi government, the parties have rejected the government's proposal to exempt projects for rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors and infrastructure projects, including public-private partnership (PPP) projects where the government owns the land from the mandatory obligation of implementing consent clause and carrying out a pre-acquisition social impact assessment.

Besides that, the Congress has pitched for a uniform four-time compensation in rural and urban areas from the existing market value of land.

Sources in Congress said that it had sought restoration of the consent of 80 per cent of land owners to be obtained for private projects and that of 70 per cent for PPP ones.

In its list of amendments besides other things, the CPI-M has demanded that land losers should also given 20 per cent of the profit accrued by industries set up on their land annually besides the existing compensation.

BJD and Trinamool Congress have already written to the Joint Committee of Parliament about their amendments seeking total withdrawal of the NDA's bill.

The strategy of Congress is to somehow get a majority of members in the panel to oppose the main amendments being brought by the government in the UPA's Land Act.

A meeting called at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar today saw members of Congress, Trinamool Congress and CPI-M pitching for "total withdrawal" of the NDA's land bill and the Opposition making some common cause on the issue even with NDA ally Shiv Sena, which has been opposing the bill.

Sources in the Sena said that the stand of the NDA ally will depend what kind of bill the government brings. If the government addresses the major concerns of the party through the official amendments in the bill, it can support the bill as well, the sources said.

Leaders in the Opposition camp, however, said that the Sena is broadly in agreement with their views opposing amendments like doing away with consent clause of SIA and they are hopeful that the NDA ally will not back the government on this contentious measure.

Today's meeting at Pawar's residence was aimed exploring the possibility work out a joint amendment, the sources said.