The softening of the BJP’s stance on the contentious amendments to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, was not a ‘climbdown’, claimed Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh. The intention is to protect farmers’ interests, he added.

The Minister disagreed with challenges to the Bill being termed as opposition. “Questions raised on the amendments across party lines were not opposition. They are suggestions, and if good, should be included in the final report,” he said.

“We have made it clear from the start that the country’s progress depends on the land acquisition process being expedited. However, if it goes against farmers’ interests, that needs to be discussed,” Singh told reporters at a Ministry event on Tuesday.

On Monday, the BJP members in the Joint Panel on the Land Bill had called for retaining the clauses relating to social impact assessment and the consent of affected families.

The Centre had brought in about 15 amendments to the 2013 Act through an Ordinance and then as part of a Bill.

The consensus to retain 12 of the sticking points was evolved at meeting of the Joint Committee of Parliament, effectively restoring the Congress-led UPA law.

The final meeting of the panel is expected on August 10. A meeting on Tuesday was postponed in view of the protests in Parliament against the suspension of 25 MPs from the Lok Sabha.

Opposition charge Meanwhile, Opposition parties continued their attack on the government for wasting the time and energy of Parliament by promulgating three Land Acquisition ordinances.

“If you are going back to the old Land Bill by dropping the amendments then why did you bring three ordinances? Why did you waste the parliament’s time?” asked CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

He reminded the BJP that they, along with the Congress, had opposed the amendments moved by Left parties to strengthen the legislation.

“Then the government brought three ordinances. Now they are bringing the old bill. Is it not a mockery of parliamentary democracy and an attempt to negate the very foundation of democracy,” Yechury asked.

The Congress leadership also criticised the Centre’s move. “On the land issue, Congress stood in front of them. They (government) shouted, made too much noise, threatened and later made a U-turn and ran off,” said Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.

Web portals launched The Rural Development Ministry launched two web portals on Tuesday— ‘Panchayat Darpan’ and ‘Samanvay’ — to monitor progress and implementation of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY), which was launched last October.

Panchayat Darpan identifies 35 indicators through which the impact of SAGY intervention will be monitored, acting as a mirror of the development activities in the model villages envisioned by the programme.

Samanvay will act as a database for mapped and compiled information on various gram panchayat activities through schemes undertaken by the Centre and State Governments.

Model villages As per the SAGY, MPs from both Houses will develop three ‘adarsh’ gram panchayats by March 2019 with one model village by 2016. Five model villages are to be developed each year thereafter till 2024.

“Of the 689 gram panchayats identified under SAGY, 517 village development plans have been prepared. Progress is slower in some States like West Bengal,” said Singh.

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