Aitiana farmers protest near Halwara airport over delayed compensation

Farmers of Aitiana village in Ludhiana district, whose land had been acquired for construction of Halwara airport near here, have threatened to launch an agitation to stop alleged harassment by government officials during the payment of compensation for the land, equipment and fixtures.

They have planned to meet and hand over a memorandum to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during his scheduled visit to Sarabha on occasion of the birth anniversary of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha on Sunday.

The decision to meet the CM was taken during a protest meeting held at the main gate of the airport on Wednesday. Led by former sarpanch of Aitiana Lakhvir Singh, the farmers alleged dictatorial and arbitrary attitude of government personnel, who had been harassing owners of 161 acres acquired for the construction of the airport in such a way that they were being virtually asked to beg for their compensation.

“We have been loitering in the corridors of various government offices for five years to get the compensation for our land that was acquired for the construction of the international airport at Halwara,” said Lakhvir, regretting that officials of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited were not ready to transfer their tubewell connection to fields of their choice.

Farmers were upset that they had to protest in front of the airport that had missed several deadlines of completion and inauguration. They lamented that farmers had to wait for five years to get their tubewells identified by the officials concerned.

Mohinder Singh, Sohan Singh, Lal Singh and Bachan Singh were among those agricultural electricity consumers whose connections were yet to be approved for transfer.

SDO Sudhar Jasjit Singh argued that all cases regarding transfer and shifting of tubewell connections had been forwarded to the higher authorities for necessary approval at their end, and efforts were being made to get the sanction expedited.