PM assures RLD over bill to amend Land Acquisition Act

Prime minister Manmohan Singh yesterday assured a delegation of Rashtriya Lok Dal leaders that government would move the crucial bill to amend the Land Acquisition Act in the coming session of parliament, according to RLD chief Ajit Singh.

Ajit Singh said that during his half- hour long meeting, he apprised the prime minister about the violence over land acquisition in Noida and reminded him about his commitment to pass the bill.

He said he met the prime minister regarding the Land Acquisition bill and reminded him that he had promised last October about passing the bill.

"The  prime minister had then said that he would ensure that the bill be passed as soon as possible. But two Parliament sessions passed since then. I reminded him about his commitment. The prime minister has told me that the bill will definitely be brought before Parliament in the next session," the RLD leader told reporters in New Delhi.

He added that the prime minister assured him that he would ask rural development minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to hold consultations on the amendment bill after the RLD delegation pointed out that the present bill had many lacunae.

According to the Singh there were "many loopholes" in the government bill including definition of "public purpose" which could be misused and consultations were therefore required.