The government has indicated that a formal announcement about referring the Land Bill to a joint panel is likely to be made on Tuesday after due discussions. The controversial Bill was re-introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday.

A joint panel works like a select panel as both of them are ad hoc committees and assigned to consider a Bill clause-by-clause. Amendments can be moved to the various clauses by the members of the Panel. After the report of the Panel has been presented to the House, the member-in-charge of the Bill usually moves the motion for consideration of the Bill.

“I want to take the House into confidence. We have some suggestions about this Bill. I am discussing with others (political parties) also,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said after introduction of the Bill by the Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh.

Naidu’s response came after Congress, TMC and other Opposition parties opposed the move, saying that the process is not within the rules and the Bill is ‘anti farmer.’ However, the Speaker ruled that the introduction of the Bill is within the rules, as no similar Bill is pending in this House.

Also, there is no rule which bars introduction of a Bill, while a Bill on the same subject, passed by the Lok Sabha, is pending in the Rajya Sabha, she said.

The Bill, once enacted, will replace the ordinance which was re-promulgated on April 3.

The Bill titled, ‘The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Second Bill, 2015,’ intends amending the Land Act enacted by the UPA government.

“It is a pro-farmer legislation. The entire country and the majority in Parliament have decided it. All parties including the Congress wanted changes and that is why, these changes have been made. This is in the interest of the country. Otherwise, the growth of the country will be affected,” Naidu said.

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