LOK SABHA ___ SYNOPSIS OF DEBATES (Proceedings other than Questions & Answers) ______ Tuesday, March 10, 2015 / Phalguna 19, 1936 (Saka) ______ SUBMISSION BY MEMBER Re: Increasing Incidents of Thefts at MPs Residences THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY) responding to the issue raised by an Hon. Member said: After the session is over several hon. Members go back to their constituencies. Several times information is received regarding theft of minor articles from their residences. As the hon. Member said several articles and goods were burgled from Sudip Bandyopadhyay's residence. The Chairman, Housing Committee held a meeting in this regard with the officials. We will hold a review meeting with the concerned officials and the Delhi Police Commissioner to decide to provide more security. We will certainly take action regarding the case brought to the notice of the House by the hon. Member. *MATTERS UNDER RULE 377 (i) SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA laid a statement regarding need to provide adequate compensation to farmers who suffered damages to their crops due to recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the northern region of the country particularly in Ambala Parliamentary Constituency, Haryana. (ii) SHRI PRABHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA laid a statement regarding need to set up a Krishi Vigyan kendra along river Tapi in Bardoli Parliamentary Constituency, Gujarat. (iii) SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS laid a statement regarding need to permit farmers of villages falling under the army camp area in Pulgaon in Wardha Parliamentary Constituency, Maharashtra to utilize their land for earning their livelihood. (iv) SHRI RAHUL KASWAN laid a statement regarding need to formulate policy and programmes to improve the agricultural productivity and income of the farmers in the country. (v) KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL laid a statement regarding need to consider cultivation of betel leave as an agricultural activity and extend necessary benefits to betel leave growers in Hamirpur Parliamentary Constituency, Uttar Pradesh. * Laid on the Table as directed by the Chair. (vi) SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY laid a statement regarding need to provide subsidy for natural fertilizers. (vii) SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH laid a statement regarding need to organize exhibitions for demonstration and promotion of the achievements of students in the field of science and technology. (viii) SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI laid a statement regarding need to ensure active participation of Members of Parliament in planning, execution and monitoring of Centrally sponsored development schemes in the States. (ix) SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH laid a statement regarding need to provide adequate funds for construction of Gaya-Bodhgaya-Chatra railway line. (x) SHRI RAKESH SINGH laid a statement regarding need to include Jabalpur in the tourist circuit in Madhya Pradesh. (xi) SHRI TAMRADHWAJ SAHU laid a statement regarding need to provide free electricity for operation of motor pumps for supply of drinking water in Chhattisgarh. (xii) SHRI R. PARTHIPAN laid a statement regarding need to allocate funds for gauge-conversion of railway line between Madurai and Bodinayakkanur and construction of new railway line between Dindigul- Sabarimala. (xiii) SHRI C. MAHENDRAN laid a statement regarding need to accord approval to the proposal of government of Tamil Nadu for construction of dams at Nallar and Anamalaiar in the State. (xiv) SHRI SUVENDU ADHIKARI laid a statement regarding need to relax the conditions of eligibility for Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme. (xv) SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB laid a statement regarding need to release the funds allotted for various flagship schemes meant for Odisha. (xvi) SHRI RAMA KISHORE SINGH laid a statement regarding need to confer rights to members of Parliament regarding construction of roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. (xvii) SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR laid a statement regarding need to revive the closed sugar mills in Bihar and also provide a special package for development of silk industry in Bhagalpur in the State. (xviii) SHRI SHAILESH KUMAR laid a statement regarding need to set up a AIIMS like institute in Bhagalpur, Bihar. (xix) ADV. JOICE GEORGE laid a statement regarding need to safeguard the life and livelihood of people living in and around the Bodi area of Western Ghats selected for the proposed India-based Neutrino Observatory. STATUTORY RESOLUTION Re: Disapproval of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014 (No. 9 of 2014) - Contd. And THE RIGHT TO FAIR COMPENSATION AND TRANSPARENCY IN LAND ACQUISITION, REHABILITATION AND RESETTLEMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2015 - Contd. SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL: I stand to support the Bill to amend this Act. This Government can never be anti-farmer. After the enactment of the Act states make the rules. I can say this with certainty that the present Bill is not anti-farmer. We all should work together to see that the poor farmers suffer no loss and also to safeguard the future of their children. In the amendment the government has made it clear that if lands of those wholly dependent on agriculture is acquired then a member of the family would be given employment. This is the promise of the government. There are about 20 thousand panchayats without even an acre of land which can be utilised for public purpose. What would they get for their lands? The compensation fixed was four times the market rate in the previous law. This is still the law. The new law will give more compensation. This Government brought the ordinance in 2014 under which land of the farmers were acquired by NHAI. Earlier the farmers received Rs. 60,000-70,000 crore as compensation. Under this law they got about Rs. 1,40,000 crore as compensation. Bansagar Project in my state was stalled for about 40 years due to land dispute. The portion of golden quadrilateral project in my state, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra remains incomplete only due to land dispute. There is a huge difference in the circle rate and the market at several places. In this regard our suggestion should be sought. The government should not remain dependent only on collectors. I feel that if a meaningful discussion takes place on this issue, it would be in the interest of the farmers. I only want to say that we are all here answerable to the farmers and workers. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI: A balance was struck between the industries and the farmers in the Bill passed 2013. In this Bill there was a balance between development and the rights. Before this land acquisition was undertaken as per the Land Acquisition Bill, 1894, under which lands of the farmers were forcibly acquired without adequate compensation. Under the 2013 Bill, the position of farmers became strong, their rights were expected. The Bill also had consent clause, social impact assessment, rehabilitation, resettlement and return of land provisions. In India whenever the poor and the week raised their voice the rich and the powerful muzzle them. This Government has rejected the Land Acquisition Bill, 2013. It removed the consent clause and the social impact assessment provision. The farmers want these two basic features in the Amendment. It is said that land acquisition is very much delayed due to the consent clause, and that projects have become very costly due to social impact assessment. I want to ask what was the urgency to bring this Bill. The Government should have first assess the number of projects stalled due to land acquisition. This Government has betrayed the farmers. The farmers feed the entire country. I urge all the hon. Members before voting on this Bill to think of Gandhiji's maxim and the poor farmers. *SHRI RANJIT SINGH BRAHMPURA: SHRI H.D. DEVEGOWDA: This issue is with regard to the farmers. I am still fighting for the cause of the farmers. I am not advocating for the Bill of 2015 or 2013. The 2013 Act has provided so many benefits to the farmers. We are all coming from the farming community. Farmers have not opposed any development. I had been Minister for irrigation for six years. I had never faced any problem of land acquisition so far as construction of major, medium or minor irrigation projects were concerned. Nobody has opposed the acquisition of land for the railway projects, irrigation projects and construction of national highways. No farmer is going to oppose any project if it is going to provide reasonable compensation. There is no dispute on providing land for infrastructure, whether it is industrial sector, automobile sector, manufacturing sector or service sector. I wish to draw the attention of the entire House to some very crucial and fundamental aspects of land acquisition for public-private partnership which, * Please see Supplement unless adequately taken care of, turn the law into an instrument of loot in the name of development of infrastructure. I am not oblivious to the developmental needs of the country and to boost public infrastructure. I am also not against the public- private partnership model in principle. I wish to see the infrastructure development and the country to progress as much as the present Government wish. In this amendment Bill, the bureaucrats have been given safety. If farmers are called upon to make sacrifice for greater public good, then they always come forward. Sacrifice of the farmers for the country has not been any less than those who lay their lives on the borders or in the war. Hence, I oppose this amendment Bill tooth and nail. By altering original decision that Government land was to be allotted at market price, it was made available at Rs. 10 per annum. Further, the company was also granted comfort for developing initially a four lane tar road instead of six lane concrete roads, further reducing its expenses.