Delhi-Katra e-way: Protests held over ‘forceful’ land acquisition for e-way

Tarn Taran, August 29

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, has taken a serious note of allegedly forceful acquisition of farmers’ land in Shekhfatta village and burnt effigies of the state government at different places in the district on Thursday. The land is being acquired for the Bharatmala project to construct the Delhi-Katra Expressway via Amritsar.

KMSC leaders warned that the farmers would not allow the administration to acquire the land in violation of the set norms for compensation. District president of KMSC Satnam Singh Manochahal said that effigies of the state government were burnt in Gohalwar, Chabal, Bhikhiwind, Sheron, Ghurkwind, Sarhali, Manochahl Kalan, Patti, Khadoor Sahib and other places.

Satnam Singh Manochahal said that the organisation would stage a district-level dharna in front of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) on September 2 to protest against the state government’s move to take possession of farmers’ land through repressive measures.

Manochahal said that Harpreet Singh, Harjinder Singh Shakri, Dial Singh Mianwind, Jarnail Singh Noordi, Resham Singh Ghurkwind, Harbinderjit Singh, Baljit Singh, Manjinder Singh Gohalwar, Fateh Singh Piddi and others addressed the protesting farmers and workers at different places. He demanded suitable compensation as per the norms. The KMSC leaders reminded the government that the land can be acquired only when 80 per cent of the farmers give their consent or the rate for land is given four times more than land in adjacent areas.