While the Union Cabinet cleared the National Food Security Bill on Tuesday,another crucial proposed legislation continued to hang fire with the all party meet on the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill scheduled for Wednesday being called off. Rural Development Minister Jairam Rameshs office confirmed the meeting had been called off. Reasons for the cancellation could not be ascertained. The government was hoping to evolve a consensus on the Bill in the meeting to pave the way for its passage in the second half of the Budget session. Now with the meeting being postponed and no new date set as yet,the timeline for the Bill seems to have been prolonged further. The last all-party meet to discuss the Bill on March 7 had proved to be inconclusive with parties like the CPM objecting to the proposed legislation while others asking for more time to study the Bill with all its amendments. All parties had been sent fresh copies of the Bill that included all amendments that were moved. The CPM has been demanding the Bill be sent to a Standing or Select Committee,given the large number of amendments,which can study the amendments and submit a report to the House. The Trinamool Congress has been against sending it back to a Parliamentary Committee and wasting more time and says it supports the recommendations of the Standing Committee. The government had moved 157 amendments to the Bill in the Winter session last year.
