President Pranab Mukherjee signs land acquisition ordinance

New Delhi, April 3: The Land Acquisition was re-promulgated on Friday after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent for the same.

The President's assent came just two days before the Ordinance was to lapse.

This development came after the government was not able to get the ordinance converted into a legislation in Rajya Sabha due to stiff opposition.

President Mukherjee has signed the ordinance as recommended by the union cabinet on March 31, official sources said.[Land Ordinance: Not making it 'prestige' issue, says Arun Jaitley]

The earlier ordinance is to lapse tomorrow as it has not been converted into a legislation during the first part of the budget session as required under the Constitution.

The fresh ordinance, which is the 11th by the Narendra Modi government, incorporates nine amendments that were part of the bill passed in Lok Sabha last month.

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It is pending before the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA coalition lacks the numbers to get it passed.

The pending measure, titled Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, that was passed in Lok Sabha sought to replace the ordinance that was promulgated in December.

The Opposition was not in a mood to oblige the government and, in fact, mounted a strong campaign against it. Led by Sonia Gandhi, the Opposition parties demanded the passage of the original land bill that was passed during the UPA regime.

To enable re-promulgation of the ordinance, the government last week got the Rajya Sabha prorogued. Under the Constitution at least one of the Houses has to be prorogued for Government to issue an ordinance.

Parliament is currently on a month-long recess after the Budget session started on February 23. The land ordinance was among the six executive orders issued by the government in the inter session period. While five of them were cleared by Parliament, the land measure is stuck.
OneIndia News
(With agency inputs)