Farmers oppose land acquisition in Jhajjar

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Balaur (Jhajjar), October 19

Farmers of this hamlet have started resisting the government’s move to acquire 56 acres of land to establish a grain market here.

A panchayat of farmers held under the aegis of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ganrajya Bharat has served a one-month ultimatum on the government to cancel the process of land acquisition or face a campaign against it.

During the panchayat, the farmers also accused the government of rendering them landless by acquiring their fertile land in the name of development.

“Around 75 per cent fertile land of Balaur village was acquired by the previous Congress government. Now, the present BJP government is trying to uproot us by acquiring the remaining 25 per cent land for developing a grain market but we will not let it do it ,” said Sanjay Yadav, outgoing sarpanch of Balaur village.

He informed the government had recently asked the landowners to receive the compensation for their acquired land but all farmers were firm on not parting with their land.

Sardar Laabh Singh, chief of the farmers’ outfit, said: “We have given the state government one month to take the final call on the issue. Farmers are ready to launch a stir to protect their fertile land if the government fails to cancel the land acquisition process by then.”