Not just Opposition, RSS-affiliate also criticises Modi government over Land Acquisition Bill

New Delhi: Yet another Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS)-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Tuesday slammed the Land Acquisition Bill brought by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, saying it contains "several detestable and unacceptable sections".

Appearing before the Joint Committee of Parliament which is examining the controversial legislation, SJM delegation led by its national convenor Ashwani Mahajan criticised the doing away of consent clause and social impact assessment provisions in the bill.

The four-member delegation said the consent of farmers should be ensured before land acquisition of any kind and it should also have a comprehensive assessment about need, social and environmental impact of the land acquisition before land acquisition, sources said.

The SJM said the NDA government brought the Ordinance to replace the 2013 Land Act in "undue hurry" and that the bill contains several "several detestable and unacceptable sections".

SJM joins other RSS affilliates like Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram which have already opposed the bill.

The panel has so far recorded the personal appearance of 52 individuals and organizations out of 510 representations it received. Sources said the panel will begin examining provisions of the bill clause wise in next few days.

With SJM, almost all RSS affilliates have expressed their opposition to remvoal of consent clause and social impact assement provisions in the new bill.

"Re-promulgated Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Ressettlement (Amendment) Ordinance issued on April 3, 2015 contains several detestable and unacceptable sections, even after incorporation of several amendments that have been included in 2015 ordinance under intense public pressure," the Manch told the panel.

In its eight-point representation, it stressed that agricultural and forest land should not be allowed to be acquired for any other purpose in the interest of food security of the nation and that the "government should not own the responsibility of acquiring land for the neeeds of the private industries."

The SJM said the land use change must not be allowed from the purpose for which it was acquired and in case the beneficiary of the land acquisition fails to use the land within specified period, land should be returned to the original owners without applying any conditions.

It demanded that the government should issue a white paper on status of land acuqisition since 1947 and asked it to come out with a comprehensive land use policy instead of looking at the issue of land acquisition in pieces.

Joining forces with opposition parties, the Manch said that as per internationally-established practice, a project could be undertaken only after making social and environmental impact assessment, something which is followed by World Bank even for roads built by its funding.

"Why the same should not be followed by Government of India in construction of Public-Private Partnership infrastructure projects? This well-established practice has been violated in the new Ordinance, which is against natural justice for those affected by proposed land acquisition," it said.

Batting for the 2013 land law passed by UPA, the Manch said in its written representation, "Original Act of 2013 provided for return of land to the original owners, after expiry of five years. The clause has also been diluted in the Ordinance, by substituting in section 101, for the words 'a period of five years', the words "a period specified for setting up of any projects or five years, whichever is later'.

"This amendment needs to be deleted or suitably amended to ensure return of land if the project for which land is acquired, does not initate as per the scheduled time," it said.

The Manch said that cultiviable, arable and cultivating land is under serious "onslaught" from MNCs and corporates, who "with the help of governments, are accumulating and taking over more and more arable cultiviable land from the poor farmers, who depend on the land for their livelihood and very existence."

It also said that any legislation on land acquisition needs to have food security concerns in its core.