Baddi villagers oppose land rate for railway project

Tribune News Service
Solan, July 5

Residents of 10 villages have refused to accept the compensation offered to them at a public hearing convened by SDM, Nalagarh, Mahinder Pal at Baddi today. Their land is being acquired for the Chandigarh-Baddi rail project.

Representatives of the farmers said it was shocking that the state government had reduced the circle rates. They contended that the rates offered by the railway officials were not applicable anywhere in the industrial belt of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN).

About the project

• A major part of the Chandigarh-Baddi rail project falls in Haryana. The last leg of 3-km stretch falls in Baddi. Since the locals are demanding higher land award, the project has been hanging fire for years.
• Around 38.701 hectares are being acquired in various villages, including Saraj Majra, Shitalpur, Kalyanpur, Chak-Jangi, Landewal, Kenduwal, Billanwali Gujran, Haripur Sandholi and Sandholi in the Baddi industrial area.

Former Doon MLA Ramkumar Chaudhary, who also attended the public hearing, said the government was acquiring their land worth crores for a song. He said, “We are not opposed to development but it should not be at the cost of the common man’s interests. Three years ago, the administration had said the landowners would get a compensation of Rs 90 lakh per bigha and this rate should have gone up now. It has rather come down to Rs 15 lakh. ”

Supporting the farmers, BJP district vice-president and Director, Forest Corporation, Balwinder Thakur said the administration should reconsider the rate of compensation and it should be granted as per the circle rate which was their right.

President of the Jan Kalyan Samiti, which was spearheading the protest, Charan Dass, president, Beopar Mandal Jaswant Rai and Kisan Sewa Sangathan members Sanjeev Kaushal and Dinesh Kaushal said they would challenge the rates approved by the local administration.

The SDM said since the farmers were not satisfied with the rates offered to them, the Deputy Commissioner and the state government would be apprised about their demands. He also negated the claims made by the Congress leader and said these were far from the truth.

Rates varying from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 47 lakh had been fixed for various villages, including Kenduwal, Sandholi, Haripur Sandholi, Billanwali Gujran, Kalyanpur, Chak- Jungi, Landewal, Baddi Shitalpur and Sarajmajra Lubana, he said.