<p>After sticking to its guns in the Parliamentary panel, the Congress has decided to take its battle against the amendments to the land acquisition law to the NITI Aayog.<br /><br />The chief ministers of Congress-ruled states are mulling over boycotting a meeting to discuss the amendments to the land bill convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 15 under the aegis of the NITI Aayog.<br /><br />The Congress has steadfastly opposed any amendments to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act that was passed by the then UPA-II government in 2013.<br /><br />The Modi government had in December 2014 promulgated an Ordinance notifying changes to the law that had made land acquisition easier. The move kicked up a controversy with the Congress taking the lead against any amendments to the law in the passage of which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had taken personal interest.</p>.<p> The Centre has been unable to get the amendments passed by Parliament in the three-month long Budget Session and was forced to re-issue the Ordinance twice. Knowing that the amendments would be defeated in the Rajya Sabha, where the NDA is in minority, the land bill was referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament.<br /><br />The Congress leaders have further toughened their stand at the Committee meeting, demanding equal compensation for land acquired in both rural and urban areas. The law passed by the UPA-II has provisions for payment of twice the circle rate of land in urban areas. <br /><br />For rural areas, the price of the land is fixed at four times the circle rate. In a letter to the Committee, Congress members have demanded that the compensation in both rural and urban areas should be four times that of the circle rates.<br /></p>
<p>After sticking to its guns in the Parliamentary panel, the Congress has decided to take its battle against the amendments to the land acquisition law to the NITI Aayog.<br /><br />The chief ministers of Congress-ruled states are mulling over boycotting a meeting to discuss the amendments to the land bill convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 15 under the aegis of the NITI Aayog.<br /><br />The Congress has steadfastly opposed any amendments to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act that was passed by the then UPA-II government in 2013.<br /><br />The Modi government had in December 2014 promulgated an Ordinance notifying changes to the law that had made land acquisition easier. The move kicked up a controversy with the Congress taking the lead against any amendments to the law in the passage of which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had taken personal interest.</p>.<p> The Centre has been unable to get the amendments passed by Parliament in the three-month long Budget Session and was forced to re-issue the Ordinance twice. Knowing that the amendments would be defeated in the Rajya Sabha, where the NDA is in minority, the land bill was referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament.<br /><br />The Congress leaders have further toughened their stand at the Committee meeting, demanding equal compensation for land acquired in both rural and urban areas. The law passed by the UPA-II has provisions for payment of twice the circle rate of land in urban areas. <br /><br />For rural areas, the price of the land is fixed at four times the circle rate. In a letter to the Committee, Congress members have demanded that the compensation in both rural and urban areas should be four times that of the circle rates.<br /></p>