Farmers Movement Archive

Delhi-Katra expressway: Farmers’ panel threatens indefinite protest

Patiala: The Delhi-Katra Expressway Kisan Sangharsh Committee members on Tuesday threatened to go on indefinite strike if the land acquisition process for the construction of Delhi-Katra expressway is not halted immediately. They made the announcement after a meeting with state government officials earlier in the day. The committee was formed to halt the acquisition process of land and houses notified for the construction of Delhi-Katra expressway and discuss compensation after the issue of three agricultural laws enacted by the central government is resolved. The member claimed that the SDMs were not halting the acquisition process despite several protests and requests over the past two months. Committee (Sangrur) president Harmanpreet Singh Jeji said, “We held a meeting with the OSD to the Punjab CM and explained our demands. We want the acquisition process to be halted till the issue of farm laws is resolved and the agitating farmers are back home. Our fertile lands are being acquired for the highways despite the fact there are already a number of highways are constructed in Punjab. Our state is an agrarian state and farmers will be ruined after their land is acquired. In many cases, well-furnished houses and business entities, including dhabas and poultry farms, will be acquired. Moreover, the acquisition will divide the landholdings of farmers and they will also have to cover a large distance to reach his other part of landholding on the other side of the expressway. The OSD to CM will soon give us another date of hearing after meeting the CM on this issue. If the government fails to pay any heed to our demands, we would resort to indefinite protest in Patiala.”

The Times of India

2021-01-20

Chandigarh