New Delhi: The controversial land ordinance was today re-promulgated for the third time with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent notwithstanding opposition protests over the measure.
The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi yesterday, had decided to re-promulgate the ordinance, insisting it was necessary for maintaining continuity and providing a framework to compensate people whose land is acquired.
The ordinance will now have to be laid before both Houses of Parliament and shall cease to operate at the expiration of six weeks from the date of reassembly if it is not converted into law.
The President has given assent for the re-promulgation of the ordinance, official sources said.
The ordinance has been promulgated for the third time and it is the 13th executive order of the NDA government since it came to power in May last year.
The move came despite vehement protests by Congress whose vice president Rahul Gandhi termed the measure as reflecting the "amazing hurry" of prime minister Narendra Modi to "grab" land from the farmers.
Rahul, who has been aggressively opposing the land bill, both in Parliament and outside, has vowed to continue to the fight for the rights of the farmers.
"Modi ji in an amazing hurry to grab land from poor farmers at any cost. A 3rd attempt at pushing the anti farmer Land Ordinance!"
"Congress Party will continue to fight for the rights of the kisan and mazdoor against this #suitbootkisarkar", he had said in tweets soon after the Cabinet decided to re-promulgate the ordinance.
Senior leader Jairam Ramesh, who was the Rural Development Minister during UPA rule, said the Modi government had insulted Parliament by re-promulgation as a Joint Parliamentary Committee was already looking into the land bill.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also castigated the government for its action, saying it wanted to "snatch" the rights of farmers.