Modi government ready to accept recommendations of Parliament land panel

Government on expressed readiness to accept recommendations of the Parliamentary panel on land, which restored provisions of the UPA law, insisting that it was not a climbdown as it was always open to changes on which there is consensus.

Rural Development Minister Birender Singh said the government has from the very beginning maintained that it has no objection in accepting good suggestions from any institution, political leader, political party or farmers.

"We, too, must consider the issues on which there has been a consensus because a Joint Parliamentary Committee is after all considered a mini Parliament. If there are dissent notes, we will examine what are the suggestions," Singh told reporters at a press conference here.

"What will be our stand will be known only after August 7. It all depends on what report the Joint Committee gives and whether whether there has been a consensus in the report of the joint committee or dissent notes were given," he said after launch of two compilations of his ministry "Panchayat Darpan" and "Samanvay" here.

Singhs'remarks came a day after the Joint Committee of Parliament headed by BJP MP S S Ahluwalia approved changes in the Modi government's bill including on the consent clause, that will restore the UPA law.

The way for possible climb down by the government was facilitated by all 11 BJP members moving amendments in the Joint Committee of Parliament seeking to bring back key provisions of UPA's land law including on the consent clause and social impact assessment by dropping the changes brought by Modi Government in December last year and subsequently revalidated by Ordinance thrice.

Asked whether it was not a climbdown for the government, which went too far on the land bill issue promulgating an Ordiance on the issue thrice in favour of changes in the UPA's Act, the Union Minister said even the Constitution was amended more than 100 times.

The government appears to have changed its strategy in view of the fact that assembly elections in the agrarian state of Bihar are due in a short time and the ruling party may be averse to being seen as "anti-farmer", a charge Opposition had been making against the BJP.

Singh insisted "There is nothing like climb-down for anything. It is you, who are saying that we are going back....

Even the Constitution, which was made with the consent of all sections, had to be amended more than 100 times.

"We are sticking to our stand. Even when we referred the matter to the committee, we had said that we were of the view that the process of acquisition had to be speeded up but we were very clear that farmers' interests should not be ignored for that," he said.

Apart from Congress, which wanted restoration of UPA's 2013 Act, parties like Left, SP, JDU, BSP, BJD were also opposing the amendments tooth and nail.

Three NDA allies--Shiv Sena, SAD and Swabhimani Paksha -- had red-flagged a number of provisions of the bill and sought restoration of consent and social impact assessment.

Saffron affiliates including Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram also demanded restoration of the two clauses.

Out of 672 representations that were made before the panel, 670 opposed the amendments being brought by the government on the land bill particularly changes in consent clause and social impact survey.

The rural development minister, however, refused to treat them as any kind of opposition to the NDA's bills, saying they were "not opposing but making suggestions".

"This is not opposition but their suggestions be the views expressed by allies or the amendments given by the BJP MPs. This is true that whatever new suggestions have come, have to be considered," Singh said.

The rural development minister, whose opposition to the bill in the past was a matter of speculation and denied by him later, parried a question as what was his personal opinion on the consent clause and SIA, whose removal in the NDA bill has been opposed by most stakeholders and political parties including NDA allies.

"My opinion, I can tell you when you come alone and not in a press conference," the minister said in a lighter vein.

When asked whether Government will now come up with a new bill, Singh said more changes are not required when there is a consensus unless that bill is totally turned upside down.

"The committee has to consider three more clauses.

Lets us wait for their report," he said.