New Delhi: Buoyed by poor support from farmers’ bodies and NGOs to the changes in NDA government’s land bill, Congress will pitch for adoption of a draft report on the issue by a Parliamentary panel that reflects the ‘majority’ view favouring inclusion of provisions like the consent clause and social impact assessment.
The understanding in Congress is that if the panel goes by the general view expressed in over 500 representations and around three dozen appearances before it, a majority of the provisions of the 2013 land bill will have to be retained.
As around 90 percent organisations have batted for retaining the key provisions of 2013 land law brought by the UPA, the party is building pressure on the Joint Committee of Parliament headed by BJP member S.S. Ahluwalia to take into account the dominating voices before the panel whose draft report should also reflect this.
Sources said Congress member Digvijay Singh noted in the panel meeting sometime back,” the consensus that is coming that these amendments are anti-farmer and anti-farming.”
He said whenever the committee's draft report is prepared, “we should be talking in a consensus manner rather than in a contradictory manner.” He also said that the government should not take a “my way or highway” approach on this issue, reminding that the 2013 bill was passed with the consent of all political parties.
