ULCRA lays bare Sena-BJP differences

BJP members contend that both Congress and Sena are clearly not in favour of passing the motion

Sharp differences between the opposition Shiv Sena and its ally BJP emerged in the legislative assembly on Tuesday with the latter in favour of the House debating and adopting the government motion seeking repealing of the Urban Land (Ceiling Regulation) Act.

After the proceedings of the House adjourned for the day, BJP legislature party leader Eknath Khadse, CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, leader of opposition Ramdas Kadam were closeted in a close door meeting at the chambers of Assembly Speaker, Babasaheb Kupekar.

Later, while speaking to DNA in Vidhan Bhavan premises BJP members Raj Purohit, Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Bapat contended that both the Congress and the Sena were clearly not in favour of passing the motion and hence were trying to postpone the debate on the motion. Purohit said the BJP was in favour of the ULCRA being repealed as it had become a recourse for corruption. The BJP members argued that neither the Congress nor the Sena are in favour of the Central act being repealed.

As the clock ticked past 7 pm, Sena members grew restless with the BJP’s chief whip in the House, Raj Purohit, urging Panel Speaker Chandrakant Chajjed to pass the Taxation bill and then take up the debate on the motion seeking repealing of the ULCRA. However, opposition leader Ramdas Kadam intervened and pointed out to the chair that the Sena members had been sitting in the House since early morning and were not prepared to wait anymore.

Making an intervention, CM Vilasrao Deshmukh stated that hardly two days were left for the monsoon session to end. Reiterating the state government’s commitment to the Centre to repeal the ULCRA, Deshmukh said it was for this reason alone that the motion to repeal the central act was moved during the budget session in March last.

Assuring the opposition that the DF government did not want to pass the motion in a hurry, Deshmukh said he was even prepared for a debate on the issue. Kadam stated that he had moved an amendment to the motion and would place his views on it.

Meanwhile, the repeal of ULCRA resolution was also tabled in the council. “After the scraping of ULCRA from the state, the government is serious to introduce the Vacant Land Tax Act as in Karnataka. Developers failing to develop the vacant lands would be taxed under this Act,” assured Minister of State Urban Development Rajesh Tope. The opposition, on the other hand, demanded they wanted time for study the crucial Act.

Since 1976 the state has acquired 16,.646 hectare surplus land using the Act. In the past 31 years, state government has acquired only 5,563 hectare land, of which the state actually has 4,015 hectare land , while the remaining is locked in litigation, said Tope.

“We cannot scrap the ULCA partially. Mostly the vacant land house slums and illegal encroachment. Majority of the land is in  litigation so people could not take get houses at cheaper rate,” claimed Tope. “In Mumbai, the government successfully implemented the scheme on 740 hectare area for the poor in the city. Of this, 735 hectare was acquired by us,” he said.