Govt reaches out to Mamata over land acquistion bill

The UPA government has initiated discussions with the Trinamool Congress on the controversial land acquisition bill to take on board its warring ally, which is opposed to certain provisions in the proposed law.

The UPA government has initiated discussions with the Trinamool Congress on the controversial land acquisition bill to take on board its warring ally, which is opposed to certain provisions in the proposed law.

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The government is also considering some "successful" models adopted by states such as Gujarat and Haryana.

"Our top leadership is seized of the matter and is discussing the issue with the Trinamool Congress to address the concerns of our coalition partner," a senior UPA functionary said on Wednesday.

Discussions have been initiated at the government level as well. On Wednesday, a close aide of PM Manmohan Singh met Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi to discuss the modalities and Trinamool’s opposition to certain provisions.

"The matter has been taken up at the highest level now. There is way out of every problem in democracy," the functionary said.

But any step to re-introduce the land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement bills in the winter session of Parliament, he said, would be taken only after the matter is settled with the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee.

On his part, the PM has already asked Banerjee to give him in writing her objections to the bill that provides for private developers acquiring 70 per cent of land for a proposed industrial project directly from farmers and landowners while 30 per cent is to be acquired by the state government.

Banerjee doesn't support the idea of government acquiring land for companies but wants entrepreneurs to buy 100 per cent of the land.

The government stepped up its efforts after the PM recently assured Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi that the bill would be brought in Parliament in the next session.