NITI mein rajneeti in Team India

New Delhi: A worried Centre on Wednesday appealed to the State Governments to "keep politics aside" in developing the nation assuring the latter that as far as enhanced compensation was concerned, it was also on the same page as the States.

Alarmed over the delay in securing the Opposition's consent over the Land Bill, the Centre is exploring all means to convince the latter as the Bill is crucial to the BJP agenda of rural development.

While, on the one hand, it is trying to divide the Opposition ranks, on the other it is trying to convince both allies and enemies in different States to take them on board in this regard.

Intense deliberations are on cards the coming three days when the Joint Parliamentary Committee will be meeting to thrash out the module of the land Bill. Consensus still eludes and those opposing the Government proposals are insisting in recording their consent.

In this backdrop, the appeal of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to the State Governments at a meeting of the NITI Aayog here on Wednesday assumes significance.

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who was chairing the second meeting of the NITI Aayog while discussing Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, said both the Centre and the State should work closely to end poverty.

He said the political deadlock over land acquisition was seriously impacting rural development, including the creation of schools, hospitals, roads and irrigation projects. He reiterated that as far as paying enhanced compensation was concerned, there were no differences in the stands of the Centre and States.

The PM said that state units should be the focus of all development efforts, as part of "Team India." He recalled that Chief Ministers had always felt that development policies at the Centre should be framed in consultation with the States. He said that the last one year had been a good beginning, with States being taken on board in the planning process, and Chief Ministers taking the lead in sub-groups of the NITI Aayog. Modi said many State Governments had sought changes to the Rehabilitation Act and that was why an ordinance was brought. He appealed "to everyone" that political considerations should not come in the way of a solution that would facilitate development of the rural areas, and greater prosperity for the farmers. He said the matter was now before the Parliamentary Standing Committee, and therefore, ahead of the upcoming Parliament session, it was appropriate that the suggestions of States be listened to, once again.