A day after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) finalised its recommendations to the Centre, the government on Thursday repeated its commitment to bring in the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill
in the next session of the Parliament beginning sometime in July. It also reiterated that long-awaited Communal Violence Bill would also see the light of the day during the Monsoon Session.
Noting that the government is aware of the urgent need to enact the two laws, HRD and telecom minister Kapil Sibal said, “The government is committed to bring Land Acquisition Amendment Bill and the Communal Violence Bill during the next Monsoon Session of the Parliament.”
The minister, however, agreed to the suggestions that the two legislations have got delayed. But it had happened because of lack of consensus on the twin issue, he added.
Key UPA ally Trinamul Congress, since it joined the government, has raised objections on the provision empowering the state governments to acquire land in the draft bill.
Similarly on the Communal Violence Bill, which intends to amend Article 355 of the Constitution, main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has been making hue and cry.
Mr Sibal, however, asserted that attempts are being made and talks are on with all stakeholders to arrive at a consensus.
The government is hopeful that the process would be completed before the next session, which begins in July.
Meanwhile, the National Advisory Council on Wednesday finalised its suggestions to government, which included allowing the state governments to acquire 100 per cent land for development purposes irrespective of a project being implemented in public or private sector and giving six times more than the registered value of the land acquired as compensation to landowners.
The most contentious of the several provisions of the Communal Violence Bill is to permit the Central government to declare any case of communal violence as “internal disturbance” within the ambit of Article 355 of the Constitution and take actions in accordance with duties the nature and circumstances of the case require.