Villagers protest poor acquisition rate

Blurb: Greenfield expressway to pass via Bathinda

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 2

Farmers of more than 12 villages today gathered in the grain market area of Kot Shamir village and staged a protest over low rate of compensation for the acquisition of agricultural land as part of the Greenfield Expressway Project (NH754 A). The expressway between Amritsar and Jamnagar will pass via Bathinda.

The protesters were drawn from Kot Shamir, Kotfatta, Chak Ram Singh Wala, Mansa Khurd and Kaile Bandar villages, among others.

Rud Singh Sidhu, a resident of Kot Shamir, said: “A notification for acquiring agricultural land has been issued by the government and we came to know they have decided to acquire fertile agricultural land at very low rates. We will not let this land be sold for a song.”

“The price of land in these villages is between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh per acre, but the authorities concerned are planning to acquire it as per the old collector rate, which is quite low. The collector rate for the same land has been fixed at Rs 5.76 lakh and Rs 6.63 lakh per acre, which is quite less,” said Paramjit Sidhu, a farmer.

Bathinda SDM Babandeep Singh said: “We will hear out versions of both sides, including the National Highways Authority of India and farmers before fixing rates of land to be acquired for the project.”