Sitaram Yechury criticises PM Modi on issue of land acquisition ordinance

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leader Sitaram Yechury on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of land acquisition ordinance which will lapse on 31 August.

Yechury questioned as to why the government went for promulgating the land acquisition ordinance thrice in an unprecedented manner if it is now allowing this ordinance to lapse. This was a reaction to the Prime Minister Modi's announcement in today's Mann ki Baat programme to allow the land acquisition ordinance to lapse tomorrow. He however proposed to include the 13 points of the ordinance through the law to provide direct financial benefit to the farmers.

Yechury termed Prime Minister's promise to provide direct monetary benefit to farmers as eyewash and also criticised the government's policy towards agriculture and the farmers.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in Mumbai on Sunday that decision was taken at the NITI Ayog's request.

"At a recent NITI Aayog meeting, most chief ministers had demanded that due to the stalemate in Parliament over the Land Bill, critical infrastructure projects of states are getting delayed and so the Centre should empower states to enact their own land acquisition models," Fadnavis told PTI.

"We are happy that Modi has accepted our request and decided that instead of re-promulgating the ordinance, states will be empowered to frame their own models," he said.