New Delhi, April 9: An all-party discussion today witnessed wide disagreements on key provisions of the land acquisition bill, forcing the Centre to convene another meeting on April 18.

Government and Opposition leaders hoped the bill would receive a final shape that day but if the deep differences persist, it will frustrate the Centre’s plan to get the bill passed before the budget session ends on May 10.

The BJP today raised several tricky issues, including a suggestion to favour land leases over acquisitions (see chart).

Land expert N.C. Saxena told The Telegraph that “a lease is a better option” but the Centre cannot pass a law on this because land leases are a state subject.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj also opposed land acquisition for designated manufacturing zones while the Trinamul Congress said there should be no forcible acquisition, whether for private industry or government projects.

The CPM found the compensation package too low while the Bahujan Samaj Party and the DMK skipped the meeting.

The government, keen to pass and project the law as one of its biggest achievements, had therefore to defer any decision. Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said there would be a daylong discussion among all political parties on April 18.

“Everybody agreed to bring the bill as early as possible. Now all parties will give their suggestions by April 15 and there will be one more meeting to finalise the bill,” Nath said.

Swaraj hoped the next meeting would resolve the differences. “I am hopeful that the bill will be passed,” she said.

Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh, too, described the outcome of today’s meeting as a “positive development”.

One feature of the bill is that it allows land acquisition for national manufacturing and investment zones (NMIZs) — integrated industrial townships of about 5,000 acres each that offer facilities for manufacturing. The national manufacturing policy notified by the government stresses the formation of NMIZs, which require less land than special economic zones.

However, the BJP is opposed to land acquisition for these manufacturing zones.

The bill, which seeks to replace the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in September 2011. It was examined by a parliamentary standing committee, which suggested the government have no role in land acquisition for private industry and public-private partnership projects.

After a series of meetings by a group of ministers, the Centre made more than 150 amendments to the original draft. The revised bill was brought before Parliament in the winter session but could not be taken up for discussion.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly underlined the need for a new land acquisition law. The old law gives district collectors full powers to acquire land without the owners’ consent.