BJP to drop tough clauses in Land Bill

New Delhi: In a move that appears to indicate that the ruling NDA may be ready to eat crow, BJP members in the select committee that was examining the Land Acquisition Bill have agreed to bring back key provisions on social impact assessment and consent in the 2013 law that was enacted by the then UPA government.

The parliamentary select committee, which is headed by senior BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia, is likely to submit its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan by August 7.

During submissions by various stakeholders, including organisations associated with the RSS, the committee had come across the common view that the consent and social impact assessment clauses must remain in the Bill.