Mamata approves draft land bill, but with rider
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, whose party Trinamul Congress is the key ally of the Congress, on Saturday gave her approval to the draft of the new Land Acquisition Amendment Bill, but with a rider.
She wanted the Centre to give “a free hand” to the state government to introduce and implement a land acquisition law of its own. She made this announcement after a meeting Union rural development Jairam Ramesh.
Mr Ramesh had met her to discuss the draft of the bill on July 30. Ms Banerjee had raised objections to several provisions. After the 90-minute long meeting on Saturday, she said that the new draft “was much better”. She expressed happiness over the inclusion of several of her suggestions in the new draft.
However, she said that she still had some reservations over two or three clauses. “But we will not fight over them. We want the bill to be tabled in Parliament where we will give our opinion,” she added.
Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi also attended the crucial meeting. After the meeting Mr Ramesh said, “The CM has expressed her broad support for the draft of the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill which will be presented in Parliament next week after the Cabinet approval. The state government should be free to make its law without the compulsion of the Central law.”
Ms Banerjee said that her government was formulating its own land acquisition policy and sought permission from the Centre for its implementation.
“If the state wants to use its own law then the Central law should not be come in its way. This is necessary to avoid any confrontation,” she added.
Terming the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 “draconian”, Ms Banerjee said, “It is a black law that led to the bloodbath in Singur and Nandigram and even in other states, including Maharashtra. We were the first in the country to demand that such a law be abolished.”
Welcoming the draft of the new bill, she described its rehabilitation and resettlement package as “positive”.
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