The Hindu : New Delhi News : New land rates make six villages feel ‘left out’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

New land rates make six villages feel ‘left out’

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI: When the Delhi Government announced a three-fold increase in its land acquisition rates earlier this year, from nearly Rs.25 lakh per acre to Rs.75.26 lakh per acre, a huge wave of cheer swept landowners in Delhi’s villages. However, as the details of the much trumpeted scheme became known, the happiness turned to despondency in six villages where almost 1,200 acres of land has been acquired but whose owners would still not be able to get the enhanced compensation.

The farmers in these six villages – Kanjhawala, Karala, Pooth Khurd, Sultanpur Dabas, Tikri Khurd and Tikri Kalan – have little to cheer about. The new land acquisition rates come into effect from December 19, 2007, but they do not apply to farmers whose land had been acquired earlier but who have still not received the compensation amount.

This is primarily due to a glitch in the existing laws which stipulate that when a notice for acquisition of land is issued under Sections 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, then the rate of compensation is determined by the day of the notice. Clearly the farmers are in no mood to relent and many of them have been staging an indefinite protest at Kanjhawala village – the birthplace of the Bharatiya Kisan Union – for nearly a month and a half now.

Realising that the anger of the farmers in the six affected villages could severely impact the Congress prospects in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections later this year, some party leaders have started raising their voice for them. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Naresh Kumar recently led a delegation to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to seek higher compensation for these farmers.

Chief Minister’s assurance

Ms. Dikshit told The Hindu that there is merit in the demand of the farmers who have not been paid compensation for their land as yet. “We were earlier told by the department that the enhanced compensation cannot be paid in a retrospective manner. But then we learn that there is a past precedent from the 1980s and ’90s where farmers who had not been paid were later compensated at new rates. We are digging out those files and this matter would be brought before the Delhi Cabinet this week.”

Delhi Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan said the Government is also eager to ensure that no farmer feels discriminated against. Since the Land Acquisition Act can be amended by the Centre alone, the Delhi Government is trying to work out a formula for the farmers of these villages. Meanwhile, Dr. Naresh Kumar said not paying the new rates would amount to victimising the farmers. “By the time they are paid, the cost of land has increased several-fold and this decreases the value of money in their hands.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi