Ramesh doesn’t want to push land reforms via ordinance

Ordinance may be the preferred way for pushing the food security bill, but rural development minister Jairam Ramesh is not in favour of using that tool to enact the land bill.

Ordinance may be the preferred way for pushing the food security bill, but rural development minister Jairam Ramesh is not in favour of using that tool to enact the land bill.

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A day before the cabinet is set to discuss the food security ordinance, Ramesh told reporters, “I would be very hesitant to bring it (land bill) through an ordinance,”

The land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement bill and the food bill are being seen as the pending social sector agenda of the UPA in the run-up to the 2014 polls.

While both bills have so far been deprived of opposition’s support, Ramesh, however, expressed confidence in garnering support of different parties for his ministry’s bill. “All I can say is that on the land acquisition bill, my personal preference would be to go through with a debate and discussion in the monsoon session or a special session. We have got an all-party consensus on the bill,” he said.

The minister claimed that he has the support of the Left parties too, as the Centre has also accepted some demands of the CPI(M).