The Land Acquisition Bill has been moved for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha today. Moving the Bill, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said that the bill is aimed at a transparent process for land acquisition for industrialisation, development of essential infrastructural facilities and urbanisation by giving adequate financial compensation to the affected people. The Bill has also provisions to associate affected families with the development activities.
In the midst of the Minister’s submission, the Opposition members again sought the Prime Minister’s immediate reply on the country’s economic situation.Repeated appeals from the Chair could not pacify the
agitated members which led to adjournment of the House till 2 P.M. Earlier, the House witnessed two adjournments on the same issue.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament House,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamalnath has said that the proposed land acquisition Bill will make it possible for farmers to get fair price of their land to be acquired by the government. He said farmers get only 10 to 20 percent price of their land. He said the cost of the land should be transparent and paid to land owners.

Trinmool Congress will oppose the Land Acquisition Bill in the Parliament. Talking to reporters outside Parliament House, the party leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that there should not be any mediatory role of the government in acquiring the land. He said that the farmers and land-owners should not suffer after acquisition of their properties.

A bill for appointment of Judges in the higher judiciary was introduced in the Rajya Sabha today. The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2013, introduced by the Law and Justice Minister Kapil Sibal, seeks to broad-base the appointment process, and make it more participatory to ensure greater transparency and objectivity in the appointments to higher judiciary. It also provides for the Constitution of a Judicial Appointments Commission, comprising the Chief Justice of India, two senior most judges of the Supreme Court, Law Minister and two eminent persons. The eminent persons will be nominated by the three-member collegium comprising the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Mr Sibal also moved a Constitution Amendment Bill in this regard.