Bengaluru:
The controversial bill has been traumatising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for the last 10 months. The opposition has also attacked the BJP government for not taking into credentials of farmers in the controversial Land Bill.
What is Land Acquisition Bill?
A complex piece of legislation, the Bill has been credited to several stormy sessions in Parliament. The opposition has also vociferously taken on the Narendra Modi government on Land Acquisition Bill and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government of bulldozing its way through in Parliament.
Many amendments in the bill has not saved the face of Modi govt which is trying to replace the ordinance with a Bill. Notably, the ordinance will lapse on April 5.
According to the current bill, the government can acquire any piece of land under the Land Acquisition Act 1894. In 2007, the UPA government tried to replace the Act with The Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill. After Modi government took power, it decided to make some more amendments in the Bill which have become a bone of contention.
These are:
1. 13 Excluded Acts brought under the RFCTLARR: It brings the compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement provisions of these 13 laws in consonance with the Act.
2. Removal of consent clause in five areas: It removes the consent clause for acquiring land for five areas in any of these sectors- industrial corridors, public private partnership projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.
3. Return of unutilised land: If the land remains unutilised for five years then it should be returned by owner.
4. Time frame: If the possession of acquired land under Act 1984 is not taken for reasons, then the new law will be applied.
5. Word 'private company' replaced with 'private entity': Under this private companies have been replaced with private entity. A private entity could include a proprietorship, partnership, company, corporation, non-profit organisation, or other entity under any other law.
6. Offence by government officials: If an offence is committed by a government official then they can be prosecuted without the prior sanction of the government.
