GoM puts off decision on Land Acquisition Bill

A Group of Ministers (GoM) formed to examine certain provisions of the controversial Land Acquisition Bill met today but no decisions were taken in the meeting.

"We will decide next time. This week, I am going to Vietnam and I will be back on October 4. After that, we will meet. Three members gave their views. No decision happened today," Agriculture Minister and GoM Chairman Sharad Pawar told reporters after the meeting.

The government had constituted a 14-member GoM headed by Pawar last week after some ministers had voiced reservations against certain provisions of the Bill.

Rechristened as 'The Right to Fair Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition' Bill, it has been hanging fire since long even though the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi has been pushing for the law and has framed its broad contours.

The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 was introduced in Parliament in September last year and was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee which submitted its recommendations in May.