Land Acquisition Bill debate in Lok Sabha: As it happened on Monday

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday took up for discussion the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Amendment Bill. The land acquisition legislation, promulgated as an ordinance by the present NDA regime, amends the existing law passed by the previous UPA government in 2013.

Here are the Live Updates:

• Government is willing to go in for amendment in the bill in larger interest of the community and the country: M Venkaiah Naidu  
• NDA ally Shiv Sena now says it's undecided on issue of Land Acquisition Bill that will come up in Lok Sabha tomorrow.
• Congress wants no changes in 2013 Land Act: Mallikarjun Kharge
• Minister has informed that amendments will be considered: Dr M Thambidurai, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
• Words for the poor, deeds for the rich has been the earlier way: Venkaiah Naidu
• Without agriculture and industries the country cannot prosper: Venkaiah Naidu
• Government has not touched the clause of compensation: Venkaiah Naidu
• Land is required for building dams, construction of airports: Venkaiah Naidu 
• The last (UPA) government brought the law. Everyone gave suggestions. Even you gave suggestions: Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress)
• But you have to look at all the views and take a unanimous decision: Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress)
• The states where industrial corridors are coming up will have a different view: Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress)
• Every CM has a different view: Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress)
• If BJP MPs voted by their conscience, then the bill will not sail through: Samajwadi Party
• On the Lucknow-Agra expressway corridor, 3064 hectare of land was acquired from 28,223 farmers: Samajwadi Party
• UP has shown that how under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, land could be acquired from farmers: Samajwadi Party 
• Government should not do away with the consent clause as it is against the interest of farmers: Supriya Sule (NCP)
• I urge the govt to incorporate various suggestions given by the opposition parties: CPI-M  
• The BJP govt needs to rework on this bill, which does not protect the interests of the tribals at all: CPI-M
• Jitendra Choudhary of CPI-M says land bill is anti-farmer, anti-poor
• If the govt is ready to incorporate changes suggested by the Opposition we will support it otherwise we will oppose it: TRS
• Large tracts of land are still unutilised years after they were acquired: TRS  
• The BJP govt has removed several clauses of the original bill (UPA) and juggled with words in the name of amendment: TRS
• The bill should be made more farmer-friendly if the BJP govt wants the land bill to be passed: TRS
• For PPP projects concerning private entities no consent is required in this bill, the govt must explain this: TRS   
• I don't know why the ruling party is showing so much haste in getting this bill passed: TRS
• The BJP, which was in opposition in 2013, opposed the bill brought in by the then UPA regime: TRS  
• Vinod Kumar of TRS expresses concerns over the provisions of the BJP's land bill  
• TDP urges govt to modify the land bill on the lines of Andhra Pradesh land acquisition bill  
• TDP's Jaydev Galla speaks on land bill
• The farmers will happily give their lands if govt guarantees to take care of their genuine concerns: Shiv Sena
• The farmer is afraid, thinks he will get nothing in return of his land, says Shiv Sena
• About 70% of those whose land has been acquired have not been properly rehabilitated: Shiv Sena
• Who will safeguard the interests of farmers, asks Shiv Sena
• We are with BJP on issues of national interests but not on this land bill: Shiv Sena
• Our party supremo Uddhav Thackeray also said that we will not allow this anti-farmer land bill to be cleared: Shiv Sena
• The manner in which the land bill has been introduced is regrettable: Shiv Sena
• We are debating this issue at a time when many farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra, says Arvind Samant of Shiv Sena
• Think of the poor before before voting on the land bill: BJD
• Who will decide on the compensation, asks BJD
• Land required for industrial purpose must be standardised as it is done internationally: BJD
• BJP govt has taken no steps towards land mapping: BJD   
• We need to differentiate between land required for small and land projects: BJD
• Land owners, gram panchayats must be made stake holders in the proposed company for which land is being taken and the land owner must get proper compensation: Satpathy
• BJD's election manifesto said panchayats must be consulted before land acquisition: BJD
• BJP's land bill is regressive, says BJD
• Don't make such a law where the common man loses his soul - his land, says BJD
• Is the BJP govt only concerned about the development of big corporates, asks BJD
• The BJP govt's slogan of development stands for corporates only: BJD MP
• Tathagat Satpathy of BJD takes forward the debate on land bill 
• I appeal to all MPs to rethink before voting on land bill tomorrow: Scindia
• If tribals land is acquired without proper consideration, it will further intensify the Naxal menace: Congress  
• Land bill is being opposed across the country, BJP's allies are opposing it: Congress
• BJP has been making U-turn on the issue, they first backed the UPA's land bill and now they have completely changed it: Congress
• UPA's land bill envisaged proper compensation to farmers, social impact assessment, and proper compensation for land owners” Scindia  
• Several BJP members also favoured key provisions in UPA's land bill, now they are opposing it: Scindia  
• Rajnath Singh also said that social impact assessment and environment assessment should be done before acquiring land, says Scindia
• These days land is being acquired for commercial purpose: Congress
• Most of the provisions of UPA's land bill have been scrapped by this govt: Congress  
• The farmer of this country will lose hope if this bill is passed: Congress 
• The govt adopting the ordinance route on land bill indicates flaws in it: Congress
• BJP govt's land bill has not been fully debated: Scindia
• UPA's land bill 2013 was widely debated, says Congress
• BJP govt's land bill does not fulfil its claim on food security, farmers' interest and job creation, says Scindia
• Want to initiate this discussion on one basic question – Is govt committed to protect interests of farmers, says Scindia  
• Jyotiraditya Scindia takes discussion on land bill forward
• I will appeal to all states to adopt the govt's proposed land bill: Azad
• Azad takes on Opposition, asks it to reconsider its stand on the issue
• If govt acquires land for meaningful purposes it will create more jobs, says Azad
• Land is required for setting up schools, primary health centres, industries, says BJP MP
• Azad backs provision of land bill, says they are not anti-poor, anti-farmer
• BJP MP Kirti Azad backs land acquisition bill, says its will foster development
• Discussion on land acquisition bill begins in Lok Sabha
• 71% feel the ordinance should be cleared by Parliament, claims govt survey
• 64% respondents to the govt survey were from rural areas  
• According to a govt survey, 68% respondents favour land acquisition ordinance
• In urban areas, 20% of he land which is going to acquired will be kept reserved for land owners, says sources
• Centre ready to dilute some provisions of land bill, says sources

• Gandhian activist Anna Hazare warns of 'Sevagram to Delhi' padyatra over land bill
• If they think this bill is not good for farmers, they're free to give suggestions in Parliament: RM Singh, BJP
• Congress wants Land Act passed by UPA in 2013 to remain unchanged, says party leader Mallikarjun Kharge
• Congress Parliamentary Party scheduled to meet today evening at 6:30 pm
• We want Opposition to think of development of the nation when it comes to passing Bills: MA Naqvi, BJP
• All party meet on land bill ends
• Meeting between Govt & Opposition on land acquisition bill underway in the Parliament
• Anna Hazare, who is in the Gandhi Ashram in Sevagram in Maharashtra, today said that the Land Acquisition Bill is not good for the farmers at all and the Centre needs to take it back.
• Noted social activist Anna Hazare will meet NGO leaders today to decide the date of "padyatra" to pressurise the Centre on ‘anti-farmer’ provisions in Land Acquisition Bill.
• Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Rural Development Minister Birender Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley are expected to meet senior opposition leaders at 10 am today to negotiate on the contentious land law.
• In order to build consensus on the controversial land bill, senior NDA ministers are also likely to meet top opposition leaders today.
• The Centre is also reportedly working on further amendments to dilute some provisions of the ordinance.
• The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Amendment Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha today.

Furore over Land Acquisition Act

The Land Acquisition Act, brought as an ordinance, amends the existing law passed by the former UPA regime in 2013. In the new version, the BJP government has removed the need for obtaining the consent of land-owners and carrying out Social Economic Assessment (SIA) for acquiring land under certain categories.

The government had earlier said that it was ready to deliberate on opposition suggestions and go the extra mile to prevent any injustice to farmers and to strengthen their hands.

The opposition parties, however, have strongly voiced their objections to the bill.

The Congress party even held a mega rally called 'Zameen Wapsi Andolan' at Jantar Mantar to oppose the Land Acquisition Ordinance.

Several other political parties including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party are opposed to the Land Acquisition Ordinance.

Anna Hazare had also launched a protest at the Jantar Mantar and criticized the ruling BJP over its promise of 'achhe din' during the Lok Sabha polls last year.