GST Bill, Real Estate Bill to be taken up before Land Bill

Even as the opposition parties continue to target the Narendra Modi government over the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill outside Parliament, sources said that the Goods and Service Tax Bill, Disclosure of Foreign Income and Assets Bill and the Real Estate Bill will be considered before the controversial bill in the Budget session.

The Land Bill is likely to be taken up after May 4 in the second phase of the Budget session.

Government sources said that senior ministers have been holding consultations with opposition parties on the Land Bill.

The Congress is, however, adamant on its stand and wants the 2013 draft bill be brought back. It has asked the government to send the ordinance to the Standing Committee for further consultation.

The Lok sabha will be holding discussion on the demands for grants on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party has asked all its MPs to aggressively defend the Land Ordinance. In the BJP's Parliamentary Party meet, MPs were also told to highlight the Gujarat model while defending the Land Ordinance.

The party discussed the strategy on the Land Ordinance, a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's aggressive attack on the government over the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.

The MPs have also been warned to read up on the Ordinance before any debate takes place.

An aggressive Rahul single-handedly took on the government in the Lok Sabha on Monday and called it a 'suit-boot wali sarkar'. "The government is ignoring the plight of farmers and is not paying heed to the condition of labourers.

Farmers are not getting credits in NDA's rule. The government is weakening the farmers and will then strike them down with this ordinance," Rahul said.