BJP demands select committee on Railway Amendment Bill, 2008

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party today demanded setting up of a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha to look into the Railway Amendment Bill, 2008, pending amendment in the Land Acquisition Act of 1894.

The Bill, moved by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Rajya Sabha, was strongly opposed by BJP member S S Ahluwalia who said that in the absence of the amended Land Acquisition Bill, compensation for the land taken by the Railways, would go to the landlord and not to the tiller.

The BJP member also moved a motion for constitution of the Select Committee.

''The farmer will be thrown out and the compensation will go to the landowner who is sitting somewhere in Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkatta or any other place. The farmer will be deprived of his living bringing in more miseries for him,'' Mr Ahluwalia said.

He said that pending the passage of the 1894 Act Amendment Bill, which is in Rajya Sabha, the government should cconstitute a select committee and refer the matter to that.

UNI RB Mir AS1359