Muktsar farmers block highway over Centre’s ‘plan’ to acquire potash-rich land
Archit Watts
Muktsar, July 1
Anticipating that the Centre is set to acquire land after the reserves of potash, a mineral used in fertilisers, was found in their village in a study conducted by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in 2019, farmers of Kabarwala, Kattianwali and Sarawan Bodla villages in the Lambi Assembly segment today held a protest outside the tehsil complex at Malout and blocked the national highway for over an hour demanding a good price for their land.
According to the Indian Minerals Yearbook–2019, published by the Indian Bureau of Mines in May 2021, a reconnaissance survey for potash, gypsum and associated sulphates was taken up in Muktsar and Fazilka districts during 2018-19. The farmers claimed that they had received information through some Revenue Department officials that the drawing of land to be acquired was being undertaken. “We met Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian yesterday, who spoke to the DC and told us that if the Centre wanted to acquire the land, it would do so,” said Jugraj Singh, vice-president, Punjab Kisan Union.
“The Centre will make a hefty amount by digging out potash from here. It should compensate us accordingly. Our land is the most fertile in the district and we are seeking Rs 1.25 crore an acre. The Malout SDM was absent today, thus we met a Tehsildar, who assured us that a meeting will be fixed with the SDM for Wednesday. We have heard that nearly 800 acres at Kabarwala, 200 acres at Kattianwali and 150 acres at Sarwan Bodla are being earmarked for the mining of potash,” he stated.
“As per some reports, the commercial value of the minerals is Rs 1,000-1,500 crore. At present, potash is mainly imported, and it will be the first site in the state, if mining starts from here,” they added.
Muktsar DC Harpreet Singh Sudan said, “The Centre has just sought a preliminary report of the total area as some minerals were found in a survey. We can give in writing to the farmers that, as of now, there is no proposal to acquire their land, but can’t say anything about the future.”
