Jairam: Govt role in land acquisition fine

Land Bill: Panel suggestion regressive,says Sharma

At least two Union ministers on Friday disagreed with the recommendation by a parliamentary panel that the government should not acquire land for private businesses. While Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the State must have a role in land acquisition,Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma termed the recommendation regressive.

The State must have a role in land acquisition. Industrialisation and urbanisation are inevitable and desirable. We must recognise that we are not in a stage of development where government role in land acquisition can be completely eliminated and abandoned, Ramesh told reporters here.

He cited private investments in airports,power plants and infrastructure projects as some of the examples where government promotes public purposes through private investments.

The minister was referring to the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee to restrict the definition of public purpose under the Land Acquisition,Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill,2011 against governments acquiring land for PPP projects and private companies. The report containing the recommendations was placed in the House on Thursday.

The public purpose can at times be met by government organisations and at times these are met even by private companies also. The notion that private companies serve only private interest is not something that I believe in, Ramesh said. There are occasions where government consciously seeks private investment to promote public objectives.

Separately,reacting to the recommendation by the House panel,Sharma said,You cannot take a view which is regressive,which prevents the growth of manufacturing. It would dampen investors sentiment.

I have taken on board the concerns of the industry. We will be placing this very firmly before the Cabinet because we cannot take any step which goes against the original spirit and de-industrialise the country or brings down industrial growth and investment, the Commerce and Industry Minister said.

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Ramesh asserted that the land Bill should not depress investors sentiments. I will bring the revised Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. It should help revive and not depress investors sentiments, he said.

At a time when investor sentiment is uncertain and economic growth is under pressure in our country,we need to quickly resolve the issue of land acquisition law to end uncertainty, he said. The Bill is important to create positive environment for investors.