GoM on controversial Land Acquisition Bill to meet today

New Delhi: A Group of Ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, is likely to meet on Thursday to examine certain provisions of the controversial Land Acquisition Bill. "The meeting of the GoM on Land Acquisition Bill is scheduled for Thursday evening," according to sources.

The GoM is likely be held amid political turmoil in Maharashtra, where Pawar's nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has resigned following reports of his alleged involvement in irrigation scams in the state.

Recently, Agriculture Minister had said that the GoM may probably complete the scrutiny of contentious provisions in the legislation in a week's time.

The panel is likely be meet amid political turmoil in Maharashtra, where Pawar\'s nephew Ajit Pawar has resigned following reports of his alleged involvement in irrigation scams.

"Our efforts are to finish (the scrutiny of the bill) as early as possible, probably in a week's time," Pawar had said.

The government constituted a 14-member GoM headed by Pawar last week after some ministers voiced reservations over certain provisions of the controversial Bill.

Rechristened as 'The Right to Fair Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition' Bill, it has been hanging fire for long even though the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi has been pushing for the law and has framed its broad contours.

The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 was introduced in Parliament in September in 2011 and was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which submitted its recommendations in May.

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