GoM divided on retrospective effect

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar,who is the head of the 14-member GoM,said one more meeting would be required to iron out all the differences.

The first meeting of the Group of Ministers on a proposed land acquisition law succeeded in narrowing down some of the differences of various ministries though a few contentious issues remain resolved.

A watered down draft law put forward by the Rural Development Ministry had already addressed some of the concerns,like that of Commerce Minister Anand Sharma on the inclusion of the National Manufacturing and Investment Zone in the proposed law.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar,who is the head of the 14-member GoM,said one more meeting would be required to iron out all the differences. We will decide next time. Three members gave their views today. No decision happened. I am going to Vietnam and will return October 4. After that,we will meet again, Pawar told reporters.

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The GoM is faced with two or three key issues which need to be resolved. One of them happens to be about the applicability of the law whether it should be applicable retrospectively as well in cases where the land has been acquired but compensation not given yet. The GoM was split on this issue,though some ministers were of the view a small window for applying the law with retrospective effect must be kept open. The other issue was about the non-application of this law in the event of land being acquired for purposes governed by 13 other laws. Some ministers were of the view at least three of these laws,having provisions for land acquisition for mining and power projects,can be made subservient to the new proposed law. These specific laws deal with projects in tribal areas and it was argued the primacy of the proposed law would protect the tribals rights.

Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath said the price of land should not be calculated on circle value as it was often not the correct assessment of market value.