Adequate compensation being provided to farmers: Virbhadra

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 9

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the government was providing adequate compensation as per the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) norms to farmers whose land was being acquired for the Kiratpur-Manali four laning project.

He was replying to the issue of grant of adequate compensation to the farmers raised by Mahender Singh and Govind Thakur (BJP) and Maheshwar Singh (Himachal Lokhit Party) under Rule 62 in the Assembly today.

“The government has fixed the circle rate for giving compensation after holding consultations with the affected families but even then the senior functionaries of the Revenue and Public Works departments will jointly talk to the affected families,” he assured the House.

Virbhadra also urged the House not to give a political colour to the issue and offered that the government was willing to consider any suggestion or formula from the opposition members to work out the compensation.

“There are some elements who are trying to instigate the protesting farmers for their own vested political interest as there are some people whose land has neither been acquired or will be acquired,” he said.

The Chief Minister said he too was of the opinion that the farmers must get adequate compensation but for this there must not be political instigation.

Raising the issue, Mahender Singh said that land was being acquired for the four-laning project not juts between Kiratpur-Manali but all over the state.

“Thousands of families, many belonging to Below the Poverty Line (BPL)and SC and ST categories are on the verge of being displaced, so it is only appropriate that they get their due and proper land compensation, which has to be different on rural and urban areas,” he stressed.

Maheshwar Singh also advocated grant of proper compensation and said that the NHAI was fixing rates at its own terms as people did not have knowledge of the procedure.

Govind Thakur said despite more than 10,000 people being affected by the four laning project to Manali, the government had issued the notification in a haste. He said in other states four times compensation was being given.