Land acquisition row: Farmers demand fourfold compensation

Farmers and landowners under the banner of Tehsil Baddi Jan Kalyan Sabha, a collective of those displaced by various projects, staged a protest rally in Baddi on Wednesday demanding higher compensation for their acquired land.

Shouting slogans against the government, the protesters accused it of failing to safeguard their interests. They sought fair compensation for land acquired for projects including the Baddi railway line, Baddi-Nalagarh four-laning and power-related developments. A memorandum detailing their grievances was sent to the Solan DC, SDM and SP through the Naib Tehsildar.

The rally began at Nichli Sandoli’s Shiv Mandir under the leadership of Sabha president Numberdar Charandas and proceeded towards the tehsil office. Protesters warned that their agitation would spread across the state if demands were ignored.

Charandas alleged that when land was taken for railway and road projects, farmers were promised compensation at four times the prevailing rate, but only existing rates were paid. Earlier, farmers had even halted railway construction to press their demands. Intervention by the DC and local MLA had raised hopes, but despite a favourable Himachal Pradesh High Court ruling, the government secured a stay from the Supreme Court. The protesters demanded that this stay be vacated.

With continuous rains damaging crops, farmers said they are already under severe financial stress. Sanjeev Kumar, a protest leader, warned of an intensified stir if demands remain unmet. They also criticised the Town and Country Planning Department’s restrictive construction norms, saying these worsen their hardship and should not apply to them.

Many farmers now face limited livelihood options, having lost their land and been denied promised compensation, leaving them dependent on the government’s response.