Bathinda road-widening: Farmers threaten to intensify stir, seek 'fair' price for land

Bathinda, July 10

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Sitting on a dharna for over four months, farmers under banner of the BKU Ekta Ugrahan are now weighing options against the road-widening project under the Bharatmala Pariyojna (BMP) at Pathrala village in Bathinda district.

The agitation started on February 25 and since then they have been demanding a “fair” price for the land being acquired for the project, but the administration officials have merely served them with “hollow promises”, rue protesting farmers.

Citing that since the district administration and state government had remained “indifferent” towards their genuine demands, farm union leaders have decided to intensify the agitation.

Kulwant Sharma, president of the Sangat block of the BKU Ugrahan, said, “It’s been over four months that we have been staging a dharna amid the scorching heat. However, it has failed to leave an impact on the district administration and the state government. Now, we have decided to intensify our stir by blocking the national highways or by shifting our dharna outside the DC office. We have been holding meetings and other modes of protests are being discussed to express our deep resentment towards the administration’s apathetic attitude.”

Another union leader Harjinder Baggi said, “There have been attempts to acquire the land of farmers for the road widening project on meagre prices, while those with influential connections are being given Rs 70 lakh per acre as per the commercial category rates. The administration wants to acquire our land without our consent, which won’t be tolerated. All we want is fair price for the land acquisition.”

District Admn not listening

It’s been over four months that we have been staging a dharna amid the scorching heat. However, it has failed to leave an impact on the district administration and the state government. — Kulwant Sharma, president of the sangat block of the bku ugrahan