Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the previous UPA regime's land law has "disastrous impact" on India's national security. "Signatures of 70 per cent of the villagers (whose land is being acquired) would be needed as their consent, as also the social impact assessment of installing the project. So, the information will be revealed and it will also reach Pakistan," Mr Jaitley said.

He said, "Scams and corruption, which used to be daily words occupying media headlines (during UPA rule), are no longer there. Nine months ago, the economy was in a doom and today we are back on the global radar." "A propaganda has been created that the bill is anti-farmers and pro-corporate sector... I appeal to Congress with folded hands... you had been in power... Don't create environment in the country in which infrastructure and industry become bad words", he added.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said that the definition of social infrastructure was not clear and therefore had opened the doors for the private sector. "It is not the job of the State to acquire land for private people to set up industries or build hospitals," he said.

Reciprocating to this, Mr Jaitley quoted from an official communication by him to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh containing recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee that the bill would not only impact most infrastructure projects and lead to land price escalation, but also delay key projects.

By Premji