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ULCA repeal bill introduced

The central government today introduced the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation ) bill in the Lok Sabha seeking to repeal the orginal act of 1976 with an assurance by Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani that the states would be free to adopt it after it was approved by Parliament or continue the original act.

The Left parties, the Samajwadi Party and the Republican Party of India walked out of the House protesting against introduction of the bill saying there was no national consensus on it.

Defending the introduction of the bill, which was opposed by Basudeb Acharya (Communist Party of India-Marxist), Mohan Singh (Samajwadi Party) and Varkala Radhakrishnan (Communist Party of India), Jethmalani said Parliament had no power to repeal or amend any act relating to land which was a state subject.

Parliament could repeal or amend the act, if resolutions to this effect were passed by two or more state legislatures as required under Clause (2) of Article 252 of the Constitution.

The legislatures of Punjab and Haryana had passed resolutions empowering Parliament to repeal the act. Hence, the government was discharging a constitutional obligation. The previous cabinet had approved the bill, he added.

The existing act had failed to achieve its objectives as land prices had been pushed up in urban areas.

UNI