With Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee putting her foot down on the land acquisition Bill and warning the Cabinet that her party would be forced to oppose it in the House if it is introduced again,the UPA government has decided to put on the backburner the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill,2007 and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill,2007 till a way out is found. Sources in the Government said that the Bills have been kept in abeyance and the move to introduce them during the current session of Parliament has been dropped. At a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last night,Banerjee was learnt to have underlined her political compulsions in opposing the Bill. Banerjee stayed away from Parliament today,skipping a lunch hosted by Pranab Mukherjee for leaders of political parties. She sent her junior minister to the Rajya Sabha that she was scheduled to attend. In the evening,however,she drove to Mukherjees residence. Trinamool MP Sudip Bandopadhyay denied that Banerjee was going to boycott the House. He said his party had differences over the land acquisition Bill but it was not true that Banerjee had walked out of the Cabinet meeting or had threatened to quit. We have lodged our dissent. But there is no question of quitting, he said. Banerjees opposition to the Bill has its roots in West Bengal politics. Opposition to land acquisition in Nandigram and Singur fuelled the rise of the Trinamool in the state and Banerjee believes she cannot be seen comprising on this issue before the Assembly elections in 2011. Our leader was on fast for 26 days in Singur. Our cadres have sacrificed lives for the poor farmers in Nandigram and Singur. How can we compromise on the land acquisition issue? We want industries but not at the cost of poor farmers, Bandopadhyay told The Indian Express. The Trinamool wants the issue put on hold until the Assembly elections. Bandopadhyay said the Bills should not be rushed: The Bills should be elaborately discussed by a Standing Committee or Joint Parliamentary Board. These should not be placed hurriedly. While the Left allowed the passage of the two Bills in the last session of the 14th Lok Sabha the Left agreed to the developer:state ratio of 70:30 with the rider that a rehabilitation clause be inserted for 70% land purchased by private developers Banerjee has gone a step further. She is insisting that the state should not get involved in the acquisition process and 100% of the land should be directly purchased by private developers.
