The legislation will now be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent.
The government on Thursday clinched a "broad consensus" on the contentious Land Acquisition Bill, paving the way for its consideration and passage in Parliament in the Budget Session which resumes on Monday after a month-long recess.
The much-talked about Land Acquisition Bill, which provides for enhanced compensation to land owners and other benefits, was Monday approved by the Union Cabinet notwithstanding reservations from some senior ministers on some aspects.
The Land Acquisition Bill, passed by Parliament during the Monsoon Session to replace a 119-year-old legislation, became a law with President Pranab Mukherjee giving assent to it on.
Not all ministers are on board on certain critical provisions, want revision.
The final draft of the bill now proposes consent of two-third of "land losers" (from whom land would be purchased) for acquiring land for public-private-partnership and private projects, sources said.
We present a FAQ on the Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, which the government hopes to table in the Parliament after being held-up for three years because of in-house differences.
It has suggested a provision for setting up land bank corporations to facilitate acquisition and disbursement of land for industrial use.
Apart from land owners, both Bills give rights of compensation to tenant farmers, agricultural labourers and even non-agricultural labourers whose livelihood will be impacted by the acquisition of land and displacement.
The government seeking to give another push to the controversial measure despite not having the numbers in the Rajya Sabha.
The government will on Tuesday introduce the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the Parliament to replace the Land Acquisition Ordinance.
C P Joshi, India's Rural Development Minister, on Tuesday claimed that a Bill to provide for acquisition of land for industrial projects and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has been cleared by the Cabinet and the timing of its introduction in Parliament will be decided by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.
Against the backdrop of rising protests from farmers over acquisition of their land, the Centre has decided to bring in a new legislation governing the exercise with a focus on farmers' welfare, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Saturday.
The United Progressive Alliance government is working towards re-introducing the Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament in the Winter Session to ensure the protection of farmers' interests who play an important positive role in food security, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
If the the Amendment Bill to the Land Acquisition Act and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill are enacted, it will not only help in better implementation of infrastructure and industrial projects, but also safeguard the interests of the farmers. That is because both the Bills contain clear guidelines to be followed while acquiring land, like the compensation package and the quantum of land to be acquired.
As a controversy rages over land acquisition in Uttar Pradesh, the Centre on Thursday said it has plans to introduce a bill in this regard in the next session of Parliament as there appears to be consensus on the issue.
Targeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called as 'very unfair' the forcible acquisition of farmers' land in Aligarh and adjoining areas, an issue he raised with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The article details instances where the Narendra Modi government has yielded to public and political pressure since 2014, leading to policy reversals and ministerial resignations. It highlights the recent resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, alongside past events like the withdrawal of land acquisition amendments, M.J. Akbar's resignation, the repeal of farm laws, and other policy retreats.
Need for consent of affected families and social-impact assessment could go.
A picture has been created that present government is anti-farmer, which is absolutely wrong, says BJP MP Bhupender Yadav.
Parliament's standing committee report on the government's land acquisition Bill has sought a thorough tightening of the provisions to ensure involvement of local institutions and an "informed and transparent process".
'Re-issuing ordinances is against convention. Courts have said that re-promulgation of an ordinance is against the Constitution.'
Government agreed to a key demand of the BJP, which had suggested that instead of acquisition, the land could be leased to developers so that its ownership will remain with the farmers and would provide them with regular annual income.
'For the rest of his tenure, people will start with the assumption that even Modi can be forced to bow down'
Members in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday, condemned the "forcible" acquisition of land in Uttar Pradesh and firing on protesting farmers prompting the government to state that a comprehensive bill in this regard would be brought in Parliament at the earliest.
Ahead of the Parliament session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached out to parties appealing them not to come in the way of prosperity of farmers, saying the deadlock over the land acquisition bill is seriously impacting rural development.
Says govt is creating conditions for greater private investment
A united Opposition on Tuesday tore into an ordinance promulgated to amend land acquisition rules, calling it an "anti-farmer" move brought by "bypassing" Parliament to benefit corporate houses, a charge vehemently denied by the government.
West Bengal's new government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has approved several key policy changes, including the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, land transfer for border fencing, and the adoption of new criminal laws.
The Land Acquisition Bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, making the consent of 80 per cent of owners mandatory for private projects.
The West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has announced the implementation of several key administrative and policy measures, including the adoption of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, land transfer to the BSF for border fencing, and the implementation of the BNS criminal law.
The new ordinance on land acquisition will allow land grabbers to deprive millions, destroy agriculture, horticulture, rivers, forests, tree cover and mangroves to extract minerals as well as ground water, without replenishment at a pace that will not leave anything for the next generation, warns activist Medha Patkar.
The BJP-led government is keen to to get the land bill passed by March.
The government on Friday continued its efforts to evolve consensus on the contentious land acquisition bill as Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh met Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley and CPM's Sitaram Yechury seeking their support.
While going back to the old bill is only a face saver, there is little in the bill that will excite industry or the markets, says Shishir Asthana.
Observing that the Bharatiya Janata Party is in favour of passing the Food Security Bill with some amendments, party president Rajnath Singh on Monday asked the government to advance the monsoon session of Parliament for the purpose. "We are ready for a debate on Food Security and Land Acquisition bills. We want these bills passed with some amendments. The monsoon session should be advanced for this," he told reporters.
Hundreds of Congress workers on Monday clashed with the police during a protest against the BJP government's Land Acquisition Bill, saying it was anti-farmer.
Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh was hopeful that the bill will be passed in the Budget session.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said the government has a "very active agenda" for Parliament in the coming months when bills on land acquisition, food security and changes in income tax laws will be taken up.
The BJP's West Bengal unit chief, Samik Bhattacharya, criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of crushing democracy and fostering lawlessness in the state. He highlighted alleged political violence, economic decline, and disrespect for constitutional posts under the TMC's rule.
