Govt introduces Land Bill in Lok Sabha, Opposition stages ...

 New Delhi Monday, 11 May 2015( PTI )The controversial Land Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid strong protests from the Opposition which termed the legislation 'anti-farmer', as members of Congress and some other parties staged a walkout.The bill was tabled after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected the contention of parties like Congress, TMC, BJD and Left parties and others, that the measure was "pending" in the Rajya Sabha and questioning its introduction.In her ruling, the Speaker said "there is no bill identical to the one being proposed that is pending" and put the introduction of the bill for voting of the House.The bill was earlier cleared by the Lok Sabha on March 10 during the first half of the budget session to replace an Ordinance which had



brought sweeping changes in the earlier land bill brought by the previous UPA government in 2013.Following massive opposition to the new bill, government could not introduce it in the Rajya Sabha then. To prevent the land acquisition Ordinance promulgated on December 31 last year from lapsing on April 5, the government got its Ordinance repromulgated.The re-promulgated ordinance carried all the nine official amendments that were incorporated when the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha. While the Opposition, mainly Congress, has been saying that the government should not make the passage of the bill a prestige issue, the government is keen that the bill becomes a reality but wants to dispel the “anti-farmer” tag, which the Opposition has sought to label it with over the issue.