On 13 May 2015, the Parliament had referred the land acquisition Bill [Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015] to a Joint Committee of Parliament after sustained resistance from many of the opposition parties and some of Government’s own allies. This was done since the Government had not been able to get this Bill cleared from the Parliament in spite of having promulgated an ordinance twice (and now, this ordinance is likely to be issued for the third time as per the cabinet approval granted yesterday, i.e., on 30 May 2015) on the Bill. This 30-member Joint Committee of Parliament has since been formed, comprising of MPs from both the Houses (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and is headed by Shri S.S. Ahluwalia, M.P. The Joint Committee has been mandated to submit its report in the first week of Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Now, this Committee has invited views and suggestions from various public bodies, organizations, associations, individuals and other stakeholders.
Views and suggestions can be sent to this Committee in two copies of written Memoranda / suggestions either in English or Hindi on the subject to Joint Secretary (SL), Lok Sabha Secretariat, Room No.336, Third Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001 or Fax at 23092092 or e-mail them at sudesh@sansad.nic.in by 8th June, 2015.
Moreover, those who wish to appear before the Committee, besides submitting written Memoranda, may specifically indicate so while sending their views.
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 are both available on Lok Sabha Website at this link.
