After Parliament gave its nod to the Land Bill, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh credited Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for renaming the legislation to “The Right to Fair Compensation And Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013” and claimed that new law, if implemented well, would also defeat Maoist violence.
The minister claimed that the public sector undertakings (PSU) had exploited the 1894 Land law to acquire land, which displaced tribals in a large number, and aided in a way the growth of Naxal influence. Mr Ramesh singled out NTPC in his attacks on the PSUs for allegedly seeking police help for forcibly acquiring land in Keredari block of Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand, where a villager agitating against land acquisition was shot dead two months ago.
Mr Ramesh claimed that the new land law, which will be notified in three months time, could also defeat Naxalism, as there could not be any more forcible acquisition of land. Stating that Indian companies still believe that they can use government to forcibly acquire land, Mr Ramesh told reporters that “that era is gone”. “If this land acquisition law is properly implemented, it will defeat Naxalism. The inhuman incidents in displacement of tribals from forests for various public and private sector projects in mineral-rich states like Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh may not be repeated again,” added Mr Ramesh. Meanwhile, the minister, while replying to a question over Mr Gandhi’s contribution in the legislation, recalled that the title was changed after the Congreses vice-president wanted the aspect of “right to fair compensation and rehabilitation and resettlement package” be emphasised. Originally, the bill was called “The National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011”. “Mr Gandhi said look at former US President George W. Bush who gave the title USA Patriot Act, which conveyed its purpose so clearly,” Mr Ramesh recalled how the title of the bill was changed.
Mr Ramesh also stated that the Congress would go to the people on twin big issues of having delivered on Land and Food Bills in the upcoming state Assembly elections.