New Delhi, March 22, 2015: Reaching out to farmers through his monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Land Acquisition Bill is aimed at the welfare of farmers and villages.
"We want the welfare of the farmer, their children and the villages. We want to overcome the shortcomings," the PM said in his 30-minute speech, which aired on All India Radio.
According to a press release issued by BJP central media cell here today, the PM told farmers that lies were being spread about changes in the Land Acquisition Bill and that they should not be misled.
"I am perplexed to learn about so many rumours spread against the bill (land acquisition)... Government is only addressing lacunae in the Land Act of 2013; willing to consider suggestions that benefit farmers," PM Modi said.
The land bill, which seeks to amend the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, has come under severe criticism from various parties, which contend that it will hurt farmers' interests. The government, on the other hand, insists that the interests of farmers have been taken care of in the new bill, which seeks to speed up developmental works.
The bill sailed through the Lok Sabha, where the government has a big majority, but is yet to be presented in the Rajya Sabha in the face of the Congress-led Opposition's firm rejection of it as "anti-farmer".
While passing the bill in the Lok Sabha, the government introduced nine amendments to placate critics and get opposition parties on board, but it has failed to do so. On Tuesday, 14 parties marched to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in protest against the land bill.
Faced with such opposition, the government has not introduced the bill in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in a minority, as it fears that the united Opposition will send the bill to a Parliamentary committee for scrutiny, thus blocking its immediate passage.
The Parliament closed on Friday for a month-long recess in the Budget Session. The ordinance or emergency executive order that the bill seeks to ratify, lapses on April 5, during the recess.
The highlights of his address:
• When I speak to farmers, I am speaking to the villages and their residents.
• I had not expected that I would receive this many questions for this programme.
• Farmers have written in about agriculture and a number of other issues that they are facing.
• From the questions, I can perceive the amount of pain you are undergoing.
• I consider 'Mann ki Baat' an opportunity to learn.
• I will try to answer your questions.
• I will also awaken the government and get it in action wherever necessary.
• Last year, we had been worried because there wasn't enough rain. But this year, there have been unseasonal rains.
• The government will do its best to help farmers affected by unseasonal rains.
• This government's ministers are travelling to the affected regions to take stock of the situation and offer whatever assistance and help they can to farmers.
• Farmers often say government schemes do not reach them.
• The country was ruled under laws on farmers that were introduced by the British. We have continued to be ruled under this law for over 60 years.
• It was only during the implementation of the new law that we understood that there were some problems.
• We are not worried about what the intentions of the previous government were. We are only worried about the welfare of the farmers.
• Under the previous government's law, the farmers would have received no more compensation than they did under the old law. We have fixed this.
• Often, people get worked up over rumours of 'this is going to happen' or 'that is going to happen'.
• UPA's land bill had been rejected by the states.
• State governments have communicated their problems to the Centre. Should I not take this into account? Should we not try to address this?
• We are a 'jai jawan, jai kisan' party.
• Those who sit in air-conditioned rooms to make laws are not able to undertstand the issues of village people.
• Whenever there is a project, we will acquire only the land that is required.
• Acquisition of farm lands for projects will only be the last resort.
• Even now, we are saying that we are open to amend the bill. We readily will make changes if the Opposition to parties.
//(Rajat Kumar, Jalandhar)