Lakhvi's release unfortunate, disappointing: Rajnath Singh

"India wants talks with Pakistan but the present development (release of Lakhvi) is unfortunate and disappointing," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Singh was reacting to the Lahore High Court's judgement on Thursday suspending the detention of 55-year-old Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order after the Pakistan government failed to present sensitive records against him in the court.

Asked about alliance partners PDP-BJP in Jammu and Kashmir speaking in different voices on composite townships for settlement of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Singh said, "An agreement has been reached with Chief Minister MuftiMohammad Sayeed in this regard."

On the killing of five undertrials, who were allegedly associated with SIMI and other radical groups, in police custody in Nalgonda district in Telangana, he evaded giving a direct reply, 

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Opposition to Land Bill nothing but public posturing: BJP

Opposition  had even written to Gadkari stating that the social impact assessment should be left to the states to decide, Patra cited.

"What the BJP government has to do? In keeping with the right principles of federalism, this government said as far as the consent clause is concerned, social impact assessment is concerned, let the competent authority - the states take a decision. If the states want a particular project they can do away with the consent of the 40-50 percent because the states are the best judge. We empowered the states," the BJP spokesperson explained.

Petra's comment came in the backdrop of severe opposition to the land Bill brought by the BJP government.

"This opposition is nothing but a public posturing to prove that the Land bill is anti-farmer and pro-corporates. They (parties opposed to the bill) don't fight in the closed door standing committee meeting. They are only fighting in the floor of Parliament when there

e cameras," Patra told a program organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here.

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Land Bill in focus on second day of BJP national executive meet

The party, in its strategy meet on Saturday, will adopt a political resolution that is likely to mention the Land Bill.

A power point presentation on the bill is also scheduled for the day, sources said.

The resolution will also make a comment on the 10 months of the working of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Also on Friday, BJP had said it will launch a mass contact programme to dispel "myths and propaganda" spread by the Opposition and engage farmers in dialogue even as it insisted that it remains open to changes suggested by rival parties and farmers.

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Efforts underway to convince Opposition on Land Bill: Naidu

"All senior ministers are on the job to convince all parties and we are hopeful of a consensus emerging on the Land Bill," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told r0eporters here.
  
He said while government had moved nine official amendments to the bill before it was passed by the Lok Sabha, it is willing to accommodate more suggestions to bring the opposition on board.
  
Naidu's remarks came a day after the Union Cabinet recommended to the President re-promulgation of the Land Ordinance as the one in force now will lapse on April 5.
  
He said BJP wants its MPs to be more enthused about the Land Bill as it is crucial for the country's economic growth.
  
The issue will be part of the political resolution to be adopted in BJP's National Executive to be held in Bengaluru this week.
  
Meanwhile, sources in the government said the fresh Ordinance will again have to clear the Lok Sabha hurdle before reaching Rajya Sabha since it will be different from the one in force as it will incorporate the nine amendments passed by Lok Sabha.

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CCPA to decide today on proroguing Parliament to repromulgate land ordinance

Sources said that a meeting of the CCPA this evening will take a final decision on the matter.

With the land acquisition ordinance set to lapse on April 5, indications are that the government may be heading towards its repromulgation and that at least one of the Houses could be prorogued for the purpose.

Parliament, in its Budget session, is currently on a month-long recess. For issuing an ordinance when the Parliament is in session, at least one of the Houses has to be prorogued.

The repromulgated ordinance will carry the nine official amendments moved by the government during passage of the Bill, which seeks to replace the executive order.

Sources said that senior ministers assigned responsibility to consult leaders of the various political parties have reached out to key leaders and the government will try its best to bring the land Bill in Rajya Sabha to replace the Ordinance in the second half of the Budget session after it reconvenes on April 20.

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Re-promulgation of Land Ordinance not ruled out

The government, which is mulling various options, meanwhile, took post-facto approval from the Union Cabinet to the nine amendments which have been included in a bill that was cleared by Lok Sabha and is pending before Rajya Sabha.       

A hint about re-promulgation of the Ordinance, that was initially issued in December last, was given by Rural Development Minister Birender Singh, who told reporters in Chandigarh that the Ordinance could be re-issued.     

"You know that the Ordinance is going to lapse on April 5. Rajya Sabha has not passed it. May be it (Ordinance) will be re-promulgated," he said when asked about the fate of the controversial Ordinance which a bill seeks to replace.
   
In Delhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu dismissed as "speculation" the reports that the government may allow the ordinance to lapse on April 5.
   
"I have seen in certain quarters today that Land Acquisition Ordinance may be allowed to lapse. These are speculation. Government has not taken any such decision to allow Land Acquisition Ordinance to lapse," Naidu told reporters here.

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First part of Budget Session 'productive', says Naidu

Naidu also said the first part of the session has been the most significant and rewarding of the four sessions of Parliament since the Government assumed office in May 2015.
  
"Parliament has enabled the beginning of a new era of transparent governance in the country by ending government's discretion in allocation of minerals which has come to be a cesspool of corruption and malpractices," he said on the passing of Mines and Minerals, and Coal Mines bills replacing respective Ordinances.
  
"I would rate these two legislations at the top of the major outcomes of the Budget session so far," he said, adding that passing of the Insurance Bill hiking FDI in insurance sector is the next major outcome. "I thank Congress for their support."
  
"I would like to have these two legislations passed unanimously. But our friends in some parties had different ideas. They in effect, wanted us to ask the states if they wanted to end or not the discretion in allocation of minerals and the attendant corruption. I am happy that this contingency has been averted," he noted.
  
On the Land Bill, he said it was a collective demand of states who wanted changes in the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 to enable land acquisition with less hurdles and keeping practicality in view like in the case of the number of years after which the land acquired is to be returned to owners if it was not used.
    

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Land Bill: Opposition, in leadership of Sonia Gandhi, marches towards Rashtrapati Bhawan

Congress president Sonia Gandhi led the march which include a galaxy of politicians such as former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Devegowda, JD-U President Sharad Yadav, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi, SP's Ramgopal Yadav, DMK's Kanimozhi, INLD's Dushyant Chautala and RJD's Prem Chand Gupta.

Sources in the Opposition said Congress is playing a key role in the protest including the finalization of the draft of the memorandum, which will be submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday evening.

Sonia's attending the Opposition march on Tuesday is significant as neither she nor Rahul Gandhi on sabbatical, was here on Monday to lead the Congress protest against Land Acquisition at Jantar Mantar, which was a culmination of its padyatra from Bhatta Parsaul village that began four days back.

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