Kolkata, Jun 16 (IANS): Union Minister of State for Urban Development Babul Supriyo on Monday slammed the opposition for hindering the growth of the country by opposing reforms initiated by the Narendra Modi government, especially the land acquisition bill.

"The opposition parties have taken the word 'opposition' a little too seriously. They have come together to oppose the land acquisition bill. They don't want the government to initiate economic reforms," Supriyo said at a MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry event here.

The BJP MP from West Bengal's Asansol said the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill-2015, popularly called the Land Acquisition Bill, was wrongly projected as "anti-farmer" by the opposition.

"In 2013, when the (then) UPA government brought the land bill, several chief ministers wrote to then minister Jairam Ramesh saying acquiring land for industrial and developmental activities will become almost an impossibility, if certain reforms were not carried out.

"Based on those recommendations, (union finance minister) Arun Jaitley in July 2014 held a detailed meeting with the chief ministers. On the basis of those discussions certain reforms were incorporated in the current bill," said Supriyo.

Stressing the particular reforms are not in support the corporate sector as has been alleged by the opposition, he said: "The bill which gives compensation four times the market price is actually pro-farmer, but the contrary view is being propagated by the opposition."

Supriyo also slammed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for opposing the Real Estate Regulation Authority Bill, and asserted that the proposed law seeks to address problems faced by realtors who are mostly considered as "villains".