The second meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), led by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, on the controversial Land Acquisition Bill remained inconclusive on Monday.
Pawar said two to three more meetings would be required before a decision is made on the Bill drafted by the Ministry of Rural Development. He added that the final decision is likely to come before October 15.
The last meeting, held on September 27, had given rise to a strong view that the provisions of the Bill should be implemented retrospectively, that is in cases where the land acquisition has not been completed or compensation has not been paid.
Reportedly, similar views were expressed at Monday’s meeting as well.
Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said, "Retrospective (implementation) is a perfectly legitimate demand." He added that by and large there is agreement to not tamper with the draft, but a few minor tweaks are likely.
He expressed the hope that the Bill would go to the Cabinet within this month.
Further, the Minister added that the Ministry is likely to introduce a “poison clause” in the Bill, which would require the law to be revised after 20 to 25 years. He said laws need to be re-written after such a period.