A Group of Ministers, GoM today cleared the Land Acquisition Bill, paving the way for its introduction in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament .

The Bill will have a provision for consent of two-third of land owners for acquiring land but no contentious retrospective clause as per the draft approved by a Group of Ministers today. The final draft of the bill will now be placed before the Union Cabinet and is likely to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.

Talking to reporters Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said the draft of the bill approved by the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar-headed GoM now proposes consent of two-thirds of people whom land would be purchased for acquiring land for public-private-partnership and private projects for public purpose. He added that the it has no retrospective clause and instead there will be a cut-off date to be decided later.

The government had constituted the GoM about a month back under the chairmanship of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar after some ministers voiced strong reservations against certain provisions of the Bill at the Cabinet meeting.

Our correspondent reports that the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 was introduced in Parliament in September last year and was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee which submitted its recommendations in May.