New Delhi: The much-awaited Land
Acquisition Bill is in the final stages of preparation and is
expected to be placed in public domain soon, incorporating
suggestions made by Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory
Council.
A government source said Rural Development Minister
Jairam Ramesh will hold "one more round of discussion" with
officials as part of drafting the bill before making it public
"early next week."
The final round of discussion on the bill is likely to be
held on Sunday, the source said.
Immediately after taking over as the Rural Development
Minister last week, Ramesh decided to redraft the bill
prepared by his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh to incorporate
recommendations by NAC.
The NAC had favoured 100 per cent land acquisition by the
government for land meant for private projects to ensure that
farmers are not exploited by middle-men.
The bill prepared by Deshmukh had set aside
recommendations of the NAC and stuck to the 70-30 formula on
land acquisition that mandates a private company to buy 70 per
cent land for its projects.
Some reports say Ramesh has broadly stuck to the
recommendations of the NAC that calls for 100 per cent land
acquisition by the government. He is also planning to add a
provision making consent of 80 per cent of the land owners to
the acquisition mandatory.
The Ministry also agreed to the NAC`s another
recommendation to integrate in one bill provisions
for land acquisition and rehabilitation.
Deshmukh was against the idea and had prepared two
separate bills for land acquisition and rehabilitation.
Ramesh, however, has made it clear that he will come up
with a separate rehabilitation and resettlement bill for large
projects like power and irrigation.
PTI
