New Delhi: Months after the Parliament approved the Land Acquisition bill,with its landmark provisions for compensation and consent, the union government is already mulling changes.
The Rural Development Ministry has sent a report to the Prime Ministerfollowing a meeting last month with state revenue ministers, and includessuggestions from Congress run states that raised concerns over theimplementation of the new law.
Sources in the Rural Development Ministry say that consensus building throughinformal consultation with political parties across the spectrum has alreadybegun. The outcome of this process will indicate the direction the legislationwill take.
The suggestions and proposals that came up at the meeting on June 27 includedoing away with the consent clause for public-private projects which currentlyneed consent of 70 percent of landowners and reducing the consent requirementfor private projects from 80 percent to 50 percent.
Some states were keen on doing away with the mandatory social impact assessmentclause for small projects, limiting it only to big projects.
The report also proposes reviewing the definition of 'affected family', asstate governments like Chhatisgarh and Assam feel the current one is open tomisuse.
Though ministry officials say no decision has been taken on changing theexisting law, activists have accused the government of attempting to water downthe law.
Well known rights activist Aruna Roy told NDTV, "The problem is that they'retampering with the consent clause and they're also dealing negatively with thesocial impact assessment... I think what they're doing today is really goingback and reneging on all their promises."
Even as the opposition joins activists over the proposed changes, thegovernment says farmers' interests will be protected.
Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "As a government, wehave not taken any decision but there is pressure on me to solve all thereservation/ considerations that have been raised from various quarters. Wewill take everyone on board before making any decision."
Though the modifications still have a long way to go before they can becomelaw, the government has already started informal consultations with differentpolitical parties even as activists are worried over the direction it couldtake.