BJP Was Guilty Of Supporting UPA’s land Acquisition Bill

12 May, New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the UPA’s Land Acquisition legislation was adopted in a hurry and the BJP was also guilty of supporting it.

In an interview to a Hindi Daily,. Modi said one should understand that the land acquisition bill was considered after 120 years and not even 120 hours were devoted to consider such an old legislation. He said during UPA regime elections were approaching fast and the Parliament session had to be completed which led to a decision taken in hurry.

Modi said that after NDA formed the government, almost all Chief Ministers told him that the land law needs to be corrected. He was responding to a question on Congress’ aggressive stand on the bill and apparently deficiency on the government’s part to deal with it.

The Prime Minister accused vested interests of creating confusion over the changes made in the bill and the propaganda about it as pro- corporates.

Meanwhile, Government is likely to send the contentious Land Acquisition bill to a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament. Reports say a 30-member committee is expected to be set up to examine the bill. Opposition parties are continuously objecting to the bill terming it as anti-farmer and government has apprehension over its passage in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in minority.

The Goods and Service Tax, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, is also expected to be sent to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha.

The bill seeks to create new indirect tax regime, that will subsume various central and state levies like sales tax, excise and service tax except taxes on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption and petroleum products.