Derek O Brien, TMC MP, Member-Land, GST Select Panel said that it will be impossible for the government to pass the Land Acquisition Bill in Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session.
"On the larger issue of parliament to have a joint session, the government has to either pass the bill in Rajya Sabha, which is impossible or it has to ensure that the bill gets defeated in Rajya Sabha," he said.
“If it is not defeated in Rajya Sabha then you can’t call a joint session,” Brien said.
Using a cricket analogy, he said “If a team needs two points to win, in a cricket match and if it rains, you can’t have a match. So, you will get only one point.”
In an interview to CNBC-TV18 Brien said the government is nowhere close to winning the 130 members of Rajya Sabha opposing this bill.
“The Janta Parivar with their 30 seats in Rajya Sabha, the Congress with their 65 seats, the Left with their 10-12 seats, the Trinamool with their 12 seats, the NCP with their 7 seats, adds upto 130 seats,” he said.
Brien said Trinamool Congress was the only party to have been consistently opposing the Land Bill since 2013.
No significant decision will be arrived at even if the Select Panel comes into discussing the same, he said.
Below is the transcript of Derek O Brien’s interview with CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan.
Q: The government has now decided to re-promulgate the land ordinance for the third time. You are a member of the select panel, you had your first meeting, do you believe that there is any possibility of a breakthrough on the land acquisition bill?
A: I don’t think so, but I can only speak on behalf of Trinamool Congress. The joint committee between the two houses will carry on its work but what is not quite right is while the committee is on, this ordinance has been re-promulgated for the third time and parallelly the Finance Minister and some other ministers are also having discussions with farmer groups.
However, on the larger issue of parliament to have a joint session the government has to either pass the bill in Rajya Sabha which is impossible. All it has to ensure is that the bill gets defeated in Rajya Sabha which will also suit them but my understanding is that in the monsoon session this bill will not get defeated in Rajya Sabha. If it is not defeated in Rajya Sabha then you can’t call a joint session.
Q: So which means it may not be taken up at all in the Rajya Sabha again in this session?
A: No, you can take it up. It is not my prerogative they can take up the bill but then when you ask for a division in the Rajya Sabha, electronic voting, at that time the house has to be in order. Let me give you a cricket analogy. It’s a team needs two points to win, in our cricket match but if its rains you can’t have a match so you will get only one point.
Q: You are saying it is going to be a stormy session in that sense for the land bill?
A: May not be because they may not bring the land bill so early. They may do some other, again it is a government prerogative what bill to bring or not bring but on the land bill we are the only Trinamool voted against the 2013 land bill.
Q: You have been consistent in your positions?
A: Yes, so I don’t think the numbers are about a 130, so I don’t think the government is anywhere close to defeating this land bill.
Q: What was the statistic given by the government in the first meeting of the Select Panel to argue the case for doing away with consent?
A: The committee has just started and I can't discuss the proceedings of the committee outside. However, what I can tell you is that the Janta Parivar with their 30 seats in Rajya Sabha, the Congress with their 65 seats, the Left with their 10-12 seats, the Trinamool with their 12 seats, the NCP with their 7 seats - that if you added all together and if we add up the nominated and all that, it comes to about 130 seats. So where are we going?
Q: What do we hope to achieve at the end of the Select Panel's proceedings?
A: Select Panel will call everybody, they will discuss. Nothing will happen because the positions are so everyone has got their heels dug in. So, I don't think anything is going to happen. As I said you can't defeat the bill in Rajya Sabha, you can't pass the bill in Rajya Sabha so the monsoon session will pass.
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