Venkaiah Naidu asserts Land Acquisition ordinance to be re-issued

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the NDA government would not hesitate for re-promulgating the Land ordinance which lapses on April 5.

Addressing a press conference at Hyderabad on Monday, Venkaiah Naidu said, “Government is aware of the fact that the ordinance would lapse on 5 April and there are options open for the government as per the constitution including re-promulgation. There is time, let’s see there is a possibility that the mood of the parties opposing the Bill might also change.”

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Ordinance promulgated on 31 December 2014 lapses on 5 April 2015.

“I appeal to all parties to enable taking forward this legislation. Land acquisition is a state subject, states have the liberty and power to implement the new Bill or the old UPA Bill, let them decide, then where is the problem,” Venkaiah questioned. He reminded that NDA opted for the ordinance mode only after Chief Ministers and Revenue ministers of 32 states and a UT made extensive deliberations said that the Current Act of the UPA government is “impossible”.

“With over Rs 4 lakh crore projects critical to employment generation, rural infrastructure, national security, manufacturing and industrial growth mired in litigation for years due to various clauses of the earlier Act, NDA government has decided to trigger the sluggish economy,” he reasoned out.

Enlisting the pro former clauses embedded in the new Bill, Naidu said that the farmers would get four times higher compensation, employment, new house if house is lost, subsistence grant of Rs 3000 per month and Rs 25,000 per cattle shed among other benefits. He added that crucial Bills such as Land acquisition, GST, and Black Money Bills are the next items for the second part of the budget session.