NEW DELHI: A day after they decided to delink themselves from Congress on the land acquisition agitation, there are indications that JD (U), RJD, Samajwadi Party, INLD and some other parties may be willing to hold negotiations with the government for what they call improvement in the legislation.
“We are ready to sit down and talk with the government if they bring back the consent clause and come up with the precise definition of what constitutes public purpose in the bill. Farmers are not averse to giving land if the process followed is fair and transparent and if the land being taken from them is used for public good,” JD (U) general secretary K C Tyagi said in what is seen as the first indication of willingness of a section of opposition parties to have a dialogue with the government.
However, he said that it is the government which needs to reach out to opposition. “It is the government which had to take initiative to bring a better legislation after talking to us and others in opposition.” The government has so far refused to backtrack on the consent clause. However, its inability to push the legislation because of lack of numbers in Rajya Sabha has given rise to speculation it might be ready to make a few concessions to secure passage of the legislation.
Support from Janata formations, who are negotiating a merger into a larger conglomerate of socialist and Mandalite parties, can ease the task of the BJP government in Rajya Sabha. The passage of the bill has taken on greater importance because it is seen as a test of the government’s resolve as well as ability to push reforms.
The consent clause was done away under the BJP because it was seen as an impediment in speedy acquisition of land. The government may find it difficult to restore it considering that it is one of the central planks of their case about UPA’s land acquisition act being an obstacle.
The BJP government has amended the 2013 law framed by UPA to expand sectors where it would not be mandatory for the government to secure consent of 80% of land owners. On Friday, Tyagi had indicated that from now on Janata Parivar outfits will be waging a separate agitation against BJP government’s controversial land legislation.
