Arun Jaitley has underlined the passage of the bill as a key reform priority for the government.(Source: Express photo) Arun Jaitley has underlined the passage of the bill as a key reform priority for the government.(Source: Express photo)

Keen to build popular support on the land bill, Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday met farmer representatives from various states to address their concerns on several issues.

In an hour-long meeting that saw demands such as inclusion of the consent clause in the land bill, Jaitley assured farmers that their interests would not be ignored and the government would go ahead with the legislation only after incorporating their suggestion.

“He also asked the leader of the delegation, Naresh Sirohi, to look into the issues and suggestions made by the representatives on matters related to the land bill and submit a report to him,” said an official release.

Sirohi, former BJP Kisan Morcha leader and adviser of the DD Kisan channel, said that the minister has constituted a committee that will record the farmer’s suggestions on the bill, and present to him.

“We will have more such meetings. Jaitley told them that they should decide on the land bill. He said that the government’s intention is very clear and it is with farmers. Government wants that farmers should get employment,” he said after the meeting, which had farmer representatives from over 30 organisations.

Sirohi will be the coordinator of the committee.

The meeting comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that amendments in the land bill in the interest of farmers, poor, village and nation will be accepted.

While the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015, was approved by the Lok Sabha where the government has a majority, it was referred to a 30-member joint panel of Members of Parliament from both houses after it faced opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

Jaitley has underlined the passage of the bill as a key reform priority for the government.

Meanwhile, various farmer organisations submitted petitions to the minister at the meeting. National spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Rakesh Tikait said that the government should have more clarity on issues like land acquisition for industrial corridors and acquiring fertile land. “We told the minister that land acquisition should not happen without the consent of farmers. Consent clause should be brought back,” he said.

Another farmer representative Mohini Ranjan Misra from Odisha said that Jaitley has talked to farmers with an open mind. “We told him that there is a lot of confusion regarding the new land bill. There should be more clarity,” he said.

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