NEW DELHI: With the Parliamentary Panel likely to submit its report on the contentious Land Acquisition Bill endorsing some of the key provisions of the 2013 UPA Bill, the government on Tuesday said that it would accept the recommendations of the Select Committee.
Rural Development Minister Birender Singh, who is piloting the Bill, told reporters that the government was always willing to accept good suggestions.
Government sources said while some of provisions of the old Bill such as the consent clause and social impact assessment would stay, the states were asked to formulate their own respective Bills according to the needs. The government had to soften its stance on the Bill following stiff resistance from not just the Opposition parties but also the from some of the Sangh bodies such as Swadeshi Jagaran Manch and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.
By announcing its intention to accept the recommendations of the Select Committee and even other suggestions, the government is reaching out to the Opposition parties so that they come to the negotiating table and allow the passage of key Bills, including the GST.
Earlier in the day, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the government, saying “on the land issue, the Congress stood in front of them.
They shouted, made too much noise, threatened and later made a U-turn and ran off”.