A Group of Ministers, GoM today cleared the Land Acquisition Bill, paving the way for its introduction in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament . Talking to media after the meeting, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said the GoM has finalised the draft. He added that members of GoM have succeeded in bringing some understanding on each and every issue on which there were differences. Asked specifically about the issue of compensation on which some members had different views, Mr Pawar said, that also has also been successfully resolved. He said the bill will now be placed before the Cabinet after minutes of the GoM meetings are circulated along with suggestions.

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