Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has indicated her willingness to the UPA government to negotiate on the Land Acquisition Bill, and it may be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament.
Banerjee has put forward two conditions on the Land Acquisition Bill, one of which is open to negotiations, according to the government sources said. ?(Banerjee?s) two major stipulations with regard to the Bill are, one, that private industry has to acquire all the land that is required for a project and second, that if the acquired land is not utilised within five years, then farmers should have the first right to buy it back,? said a source in the Trinamool Congress.
Sources also said instead of 100% land acquisition by private industry, the UPA has been asking Banerjee to consider the old 70:30 break up which is in the present Bill. ?The proportion may vary but ultimately some resolution will happen on this matter very soon. (Banerjee) met Pranab Mukherjee during the Monsoon Session and was handed over a copy of the Bill for perusal,? said the source.
A sign of hope for the UPA arises out of the political situation in West Bengal. ?The land acquisition issue propelled Mamta Banerjee to an upward trajectory in the state, but that issue is now important but not vital, as the momentum appears to have firmly gone to her,? said a source. ?Secondly, if she does come to power in 2011, she will need a positive replacement for the agitation, she will have to offer some resolution to the land acquisition issue, and the Bill will ensure that,? said the source. ?This is pretty much what the finance minister said to Banerjee when they met,? the source added.
The recent developments on the issue is clearly favouring an early passage of the Bill, especially for the Congress which is watching Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati?s moves on the matter very carefully. Mayawati?s innovative formulation of providing an annuity for 33 years on acquired land has seriously worried the Congress which fears that the party may get left out in the cold when it comes to the rural votebank. With Banerjee signalling that she is all on board, all that is needed, sources say, is a formal meeting between her and UPA chaiperson Sonia Gandhi to sew up the Bill.