Land Ordinance: Govt considering representations from stakeholders

New Delhi, Feb 26: Under fire from the Opposition on the Land ordinance, government said it is considering a number of representations from stakeholders expressing concerns on the interests of the farmers on the provisions of the law.

Defending the ordinance to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda told Lok Sabha that many state governments and departments and ministries of the Government of India had "expressed some difficulties in implementation of the Act."

In a written reply, he said a need was also expressed on the "necessity of making changes" in the law. "Accordingly, a conference of state Revenue Ministers was organised in Vigyan Bhawan on June 27, 2014 under the chairmanship of (then) Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari in which 32 states and union territories had participated," he said.

Gowda said government has also received representations from other stakeholders which were also considered. "Number of representations have been received expressing concerns about the farmers interests, and they are being considered by the government," he said.

A Bill to replace the ordinance has already been introduced in Lok Sabha. In his reply, the minister said since the Narendra Modi government came to power in May last year, nine ordinances have been promulgated.

PTI