Kolkata:
Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee for the second time over the draft Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Bill. Mamata had earlier opposed the earlier versions of the bill but it seems that she is happy with the new draft. The new Land Bill is expected to be put up before the union cabinet in the coming week, who will then place it before Parliament.
Speaking to the media, Ramesh said he had assured Mamata that there was nothing in the bill to prevent states from drawing their own laws.
For her part, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, "I am satisfied with the main points of the bill. We are happy that the bill is being introduced. We are only concerned about one or two points ... We have said we will not acquire any land except for security purposes or when there is a national disaster.''
Jairam Ramesh had earlier met Mamata Banerjee in July to drum up support for the Bill. Mamata is seens as a key ally, as she had strongly opposed the previous versions of the Bill in the past.
Mamata had made it clear that she would not allow land to be acquired forcefully. She had then said: "The government will acquire land only through negotiation. We had opposed the previous Land Acquisition Bill because of this."
The proposed provision in the Bill allows state governments to acquire land for private projects - provided that 80 per cent of the affected people consent to the project.
Another provision also states that those seeking rural areas for private projects will have to provide compensation at almost six times the cost of the land. For urban areas, the compensation is to be twice that of the current market rate. If the land is not used for five years, it will then have to be given back to the original owners.