Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
Both ruling and opposition will find middle-path over Land Bill row, hopes LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
By Dheeraj Fartode
Clarifying misconception about Land Acquisition Ordinance, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan made it clear that the ordinance would never change compensation part of the Land Acquisition Bill, which was passed during UPA-2 regime in 2013. “The government should inform opposition about it and resolve the ongoing row in the Lok Sabha. Discussion should be started in the house to decide changes to be made in the ordinance,” Mahajan opined.
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| Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan |
It can be mentioned that Sumitra Mahajan was the chairperson of Standing Committee of Rural Development Ministry and played a key role in drafting of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013. Interacting with mediapersons during her short stay at Ravi Bhavan, Mahajan further said, farmers would be definitely benefitted by the bill, which has replaced Land acquisition law of 1894. “May be the bill -- passed in 2013 -- is not comprehensive hence, government wants to amend it,” she opined.
“Many good suggestions will come out during discussion in the Parliament. Every amendment in favour of farmers is welcome,” she said.
Showing her neutral stand about all political parties, the Lok Sabha speaker further said, all parties are working for betterment of society and development of country. “Of course, idea of ruling and opposition parties can be different but final goal is same. So, we have to find a middle-path accommodating concerns of both the sides. The ruling party must reach out to opposition and acknowledge their demands,” Mahajan said.
When asked about possibility to call joint session to pass the ordinance, Mahajan informed that sorting out things through discussion is her priority. Joint session is last resort if the stalemate continues or both the houses differ in their opinion, she said. On the controversy created due to objectionable statements made by Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) leader and row in Lok Sabha, Mahajan said the lower house has already expressed views on the issue.
Former MP Banwarilal Purohit, Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, legislators Krishna Khopde, Anil Sole, Dr Milind Mane, Sudhakar Deshmukh, Pramod Pandke and others welcomed the Lok Sabha Speaker.
‘Amendment to President’s address should have been avoided’
Expressing her views on Rajya Sabha’s amendment to the President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to joint session of Parliament’s Budget session, the Lok Sabha speaker said, “Political parties should avoid amendment in the President’s address which is based on the schemes and plans of ruling party for the country.” Saying there are several ways to expose failure of government, Mahajan added that amendment to the President’s address should be avoided as it’s not routine culture. Opposition outnumbers ruling NDA in Rajya Sabha.
It can be mentioned that the Government faced an embarrassment in the Rajya Sabha when an amendment moved by the opposition to the President’s address over corruption and black money was passed.
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