Farmers and the administration have come face to face in Malerkotla, Punjab, over land acquisition for the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. Farmers are protesting against land acquisition. On Wednesday, angry farmers broke the police barricades and clashed with the police. Despite the farmers’ protest, the police had occupied the land here on Tuesday. After this, on Wednesday, members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union arrived to protest. They broke the barricades put up by the police. The police tried to drive them away from there. This created chaos. A large number of farmers had reached there with sticks and flags in their hands. The police repeatedly put up barricades and the farmers removed them.
There is a lot of tension in the area due to the latest clash between farmers and police. As a precautionary measure, the administration has deployed heavy police force in the area. This incident of clash of farmers with police has happened before a high level meeting to be held in Delhi this evening under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apart from the officials of National Highway Authority of India, officials of Punjab government are also attending the meeting. In this meeting, a report is likely to be presented on the problems being faced in land acquisition for Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.
The farmers reclaimed the land
The administration had acquired the land of farmers in village Sharod in Malerkotla for the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, but the land owners were not ready to give possession in protest of the low price paid. Today the administration came with the police force to take possession of the land, but the farmers started protesting against it. During this, a fierce clash took place between the farmers and the police and the Bharatiya Kisan Union recaptured the land. Heavy police force has been deployed on the spot.
The Punjab government had ordered to complete the acquisition process under police protection
The Punjab government, which swung into action a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s review meeting on National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) projects going on in Punjab in New Delhi on Wednesday, had ordered to increase police security in land acquisition cases for NHAI projects. In view of the tension between NHAI officers and farmers in the process of land acquisition, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma has written a letter to DGP Gaurav Yadav and ordered to complete the acquisition process under the supervision of the DM and SDM of the area in the presence of police security force.
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Farmers are protesting due to not getting proper compensation
Chief Secretary Anurag Verma had written a letter to the DGP asking him to deploy police force to acquire land on two parts of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. The 1.34 km long part of the expressway is in Malerkotla and the other 1.25 km part is in Kapurthala. There is a huge protest going on here due to not getting proper compensation in the process of acquiring the land of the farmers for the construction of the expressway. The Chief Secretary has asked the DGP to complete the government process in the presence of a heavy police force along with SSP Malerkotla and Kapurthala, so that the acquisition report can be presented in the PM’s meeting.
295 kilometer long expressway will pass through Punjab
The Punjab government has expedited the process of resuming work on stalled highway projects in the state. The government has assured the farmers of increased compensation for their acquired land. Also, they have been made aware of the legal provisions against illegal occupation. Recently, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma had a marathon meeting with all the Deputy Commissioners in Chandigarh. Verma said that every Friday he is reviewing the progress of ongoing highway projects, especially the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, and the action taken to remove obstacles in the construction work.
He informed that possession of 255 km of land of the 295 km long main expressway passing through Punjab has been handed over to NHAI till Friday and possession of 25 km of land will be handed over by September 30. With this, about 95 percent of the total portion of the expressway in the state will be cleared and the remaining 15 km, which is facing litigation or other issues, will also be completed in time.
Nitin Gadkari had warned of cancelling the highway project
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari wrote a warning letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on August 10. Gadkari had said that if the law and order situation in Punjab does not improve, NHIA will cancel eight more highway projects. The total cost of these projects is Rs 14,288 crore. Gadkari wrote this letter after the violent incidents taking place during the construction of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. He also raised issues related to land acquisition, expressing serious concern over the safety of NHAI officials, contractors and their employees. Gadkari had sought personal intervention from Mann in this matter.
(Report: Moni Devi)
Report: Moni Devi
