TIA NEWS /
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the decision to let the land acquisition ordinance to lapse is not a setback for the government. In an interview to a private channel, Mr Jaitley said the alternative route adopted by the Centre will provide greater flexibility to the states to deal with the issue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday announced that the government will not re-promulgate the Ordinance on Land Acquisition which expires today and declared readiness to incorporate any suggestion in the bill, which is pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Earlier last week, the government had issued an order to include 13 central acts like national highway and railways acts to extend benefits to those whose land is acquired under
the land law.
Mr Jaitley said rather than allowing the parliamentary stalemate to carry on, the centre followed an alternative route which will give flexibility to states to change land acquisition laws as per their requirement.
Replying to queries on GST bill, which is held up in Rajya Sabha, the minister said he was in touch with the Congress party. Mr Jaitley said the Congress pioneered the GST bill and they are the one who is picking holes in their own proposals.