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10 states seek to have their own land laws

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This could help bypass central legislation and break the land Bill deadlock
Ten big states, most of those ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners, on Wednesday sought to unshackle themselves from the logjam over amendments to the contentious land acquisition Bill, 2013, by proposing to bring their own laws for boosting infrastructure development.
At a NITI Aayog meeting to discuss the land Bill ( the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Bill, 2015), which Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired, several chief ministers stressed that land was needed for development and to create jobs.
The PM told the meeting that politics over the Bill was stalling rural development. He said the government would not compromise the country’s development but will keep farmers’ interest in mind. For this, it would consider all suggestions. Several state governments proposed they could enact their own land laws consistent with the amendments proposed by the Centre in the land acquisition Bill, 2015, rather than waiting indefinitely for a consensus.
“If the Centre fails to approve this ( Bill) with consensus, it should be left to states. Those states that want to develop fast... can suggest their own state legislation and the Centre ( would) approve that state legislation.
An overwhelming section gave such a suggestion,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after the meeting.
He did not identify the specific states but it was evident most of these were those ruled by BJP or its alliance partners. Today’s meeting was attended by 16 chief ministers. The nine Congress CMs boycotted the meeting, while the Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha CMs were absent. Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, who was indisposed, sent a written text in which she opposed the changes to the 2013 Act. Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, Tripura’s Manik Sarkar and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal also opposed the amendments.
Among the states that are ruled by the National Democratic Alliance partners, Parkash Singh Badal, who leads a BJPShiromani Akali Dal government in Punjab, was the sole dissenter on the issue of amending the 2013 Act. Jammu & Kashmir CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed advised the PM to consult all political parties before amending the existing Act. Telangana, ruled by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi ( not an NDA partner), is understood to have supported the changes, along with Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu could not attend the meeting but spoke to the PM. He has consistently supported the land Bill.
Chief Ministers of BJP- ruled states argued development had been suffering because of a deadlock over the issue.
Business Standard, New Delhi, 16th July 2015

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