IANS/New Delhi

The government said yesterday there was broad consensus on the land acquisition bill, paving the way for its introduction in parliament in the second half of the budget session resuming on Monday.

“We have reached a broad consensus on the land acquisition bill,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters after the meeting.

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the government has agreed on two major issues raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of which was an enabling provision for states to introduce a clause allowing leasing of land for projects instead of acquisition.

The second major concern put forward by the main opposition party was ensuring that all owners who had sold their land after September 5, 2011, when the bill was first introduced, also get compensation.

“We agreed on the issue that there was a lot of speculative buying of land after September 5, 2011. So we are working on a provision to ensure that the original owners of such land also get some share of the compensation,” Ramesh said.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had made a demand pertaining to the right to compensation of tenants who actually till the land.

“Though this issue is very Bengal-specific as the ‘Barga’ (tenancy) system is limited to that state, we have said we would examine this,” Ramesh said, adding: “In any case, the state government can always improve upon the law.”

“All political parties are agreed on the point that the bill should be passed in this session,” he said, adding: “Now all their suggestions will be discussed on the floor of the house.”

Asked on the industry reaction to the bill, Ramesh said: “The bill has come under attack both from land rights activists as well as industries. So we have tried to take a middle path.”

The Left parties and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam still have reservations on the bill, with the CPM demanding 100% consent from all families affected by the acquisition of land.

“There is a lot of dilution from the original bill. The current version is against the interests of the farmers. We will move amendments when the bill is taken up in parliament,” CPM leader Basudeb Acharia said.

DMK leader T R Baalu said that the bill was against the federal structure of the constitution and his party could not agree to it.