<p>New Delhi: A meeting of a Parliamentary committee reviewing the implementation of law on land acquisition on Thursday was abruptly ended owing to “lack of quorum” after BJP MPs walked out objecting to summoning activist Medha Patkar to appear before it, sources said.</p><p>Besides Patkar, sources said, those summoned to the meeting to present their views included actor-activist Prakash Raj, Siddnath Shahu, Aradhana Bhargava, Shrikant Vaishnav, Sajjelal Chandrawanshi, Ashok Kumar Singh Paigam, Ratibhan Prasad, Budhram Singh and Raksha Awasya.</p>.Medha Patkar denied entry to Odisha's Rayagada amid protests over bauxite mining.<p>The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was scheduled to hear officials of Department of Land Resources in Ministry of Rural Development), Ministries of Environment and Tribal Affairs, NGOs and other stakeholders on ‘Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 - Implementation and Effectiveness’.</p><p>Before the meeting itself, sources said BJP MPs objected to allowing Patkar to appear before the panel headed by senior Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka.</p><p>When the meeting started, sources said Ulaka informed the panel about calling stakeholders and the BJP MPs once again raised objections to summoning Patkar. </p><p>The protesting MPs described the activist, who spearheaded the Narmada Bachao Andolan in Gujarat and elsewhere, as “anti-national and anti-development” and should not be allowed to present her views. An MP is learnt to have even asked whether the committee would invite the Pakistan Prime Minister.</p><p>However, Opposition MPs were of the view that it was not proper not to hear an invited person. As the committee went ahead with the proceedings, the BJP MPs walked out.</p>.Parliamentary panel to discuss judges' code of conduct.<p>Sources said the “witnesses” were called to the meeting room and when the proceedings were to start, officials informed the MPs that there is a lack of quorum and the meeting cannot proceed. Some Opposition MPs claimed that a direction came from the Speaker’s Office that the meeting should not continue without requisite quorum.</p><p>MPs claimed that 17 out of 29 MPs in the panel had signed the register and many times, deliberations had continued despite some members leaving the meeting.</p><p>Ulaka said all rules to convene the meeting were followed and the list of witnesses was circulated to all the members. </p><p>“We wanted to hear from all stakeholders. It is unfortunate that NDA members did not want to even listen to them. The Standing Committees provide a platform to hear everyone. Stalling such interactions can be grievous to democracy,” he said.</p><p>Ulaka said after around ten BJP MPs walked out, only six MPs, including four from Congress, were left and as there was no quorum, the meeting was disbursed</p>
<p>New Delhi: A meeting of a Parliamentary committee reviewing the implementation of law on land acquisition on Thursday was abruptly ended owing to “lack of quorum” after BJP MPs walked out objecting to summoning activist Medha Patkar to appear before it, sources said.</p><p>Besides Patkar, sources said, those summoned to the meeting to present their views included actor-activist Prakash Raj, Siddnath Shahu, Aradhana Bhargava, Shrikant Vaishnav, Sajjelal Chandrawanshi, Ashok Kumar Singh Paigam, Ratibhan Prasad, Budhram Singh and Raksha Awasya.</p>.Medha Patkar denied entry to Odisha's Rayagada amid protests over bauxite mining.<p>The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was scheduled to hear officials of Department of Land Resources in Ministry of Rural Development), Ministries of Environment and Tribal Affairs, NGOs and other stakeholders on ‘Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 - Implementation and Effectiveness’.</p><p>Before the meeting itself, sources said BJP MPs objected to allowing Patkar to appear before the panel headed by senior Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka.</p><p>When the meeting started, sources said Ulaka informed the panel about calling stakeholders and the BJP MPs once again raised objections to summoning Patkar. </p><p>The protesting MPs described the activist, who spearheaded the Narmada Bachao Andolan in Gujarat and elsewhere, as “anti-national and anti-development” and should not be allowed to present her views. An MP is learnt to have even asked whether the committee would invite the Pakistan Prime Minister.</p><p>However, Opposition MPs were of the view that it was not proper not to hear an invited person. As the committee went ahead with the proceedings, the BJP MPs walked out.</p>.Parliamentary panel to discuss judges' code of conduct.<p>Sources said the “witnesses” were called to the meeting room and when the proceedings were to start, officials informed the MPs that there is a lack of quorum and the meeting cannot proceed. Some Opposition MPs claimed that a direction came from the Speaker’s Office that the meeting should not continue without requisite quorum.</p><p>MPs claimed that 17 out of 29 MPs in the panel had signed the register and many times, deliberations had continued despite some members leaving the meeting.</p><p>Ulaka said all rules to convene the meeting were followed and the list of witnesses was circulated to all the members. </p><p>“We wanted to hear from all stakeholders. It is unfortunate that NDA members did not want to even listen to them. The Standing Committees provide a platform to hear everyone. Stalling such interactions can be grievous to democracy,” he said.</p><p>Ulaka said after around ten BJP MPs walked out, only six MPs, including four from Congress, were left and as there was no quorum, the meeting was disbursed</p>
