Modi govt ready to accept recommendations of Par land panel

Government on Tuesday expressed readiness to accept recommendations of the Parliamentary panel on land, which restored provisions of the UPA law, insisting that it was not a climbdown as it was always open to changes on which there is consensus. Rural Development Minister Birender Singh said the government has from the very beginning maintained that it has no objection in accepting good suggestions from any institution, political leader, political party or farmers. "We, too, must consider the issues on which there has been a consensus because a Joint Parliamentary Committee is after all considered a mini Parliament. If there are dissent notes, we will examine what are the suggestions," Singh told reporters here. "What will be our stand will be known only after August 7. It all depends on what report the Joint Committee gives and whether there has been a consensus in the report of the joint committee or dissent notes were given," he said after launch of two compilations of his ministry "Panchayat Darpan" and "Samanvay" here.

Singhs'remarks came a day after the Joint Committee of Parliament headed by BJP MP S S Ahluwalia approved changes in the Modi government's bill including on the consent clause, that will restore the UPA law. The way for possible climb down by the government was facilitated by all 11 BJP members moving amendments in the Joint Committee of Parliament seeking to bring back key provisions of UPA's land law including on the consent clause and social impact assessment by dropping the changes brought by Modi Government in December last year and subsequently revalidated by Ordinance thrice. Asked whether it was not a climbdown for the government, which went too far on the land bill issue promulgating an Ordiance on the issue thrice in favour of changes in the UPA's Act, the Union Minister said even the Constitution was amended more than 100 times.

The government appears to have changed its strategy in view of the fact that assembly elections in the agrarian state of Bihar are due in a short time and the ruling party may be averse to being seen as "anti-farmer", a charge Opposition had been making against the BJP.