Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 31: The residents of several areas from Srinagar outskirts today staged a protest alleging that the Govt was acquiring their land in return for meagre compensation.
Scores of people who own the agricultural land in Barthana, Qamerwari, Khushi Pora HMT assembled in the Press Enclave and were heard raising slogans in favour of their demands.
“All of a sudden, we came to know that the Government is acquiring our agricultural land in return for compensation which is 1 lakh 20 thousand rupees per Kanal, which not only is a joke but is unacceptable to us,” said Tasaduq, one of the protesters from Khushi Pora, HMT.
He said that the landowners do not know why the land is being acquired by the Government. “We are solely dependent on the land and we have the documents of the land dating back to 1920 when the land was barren and we made it suitable for cultivation,” he said.
The protestors said that the Government is giving them the rate which was prevalent several years back even as the farmers were given 1 lakh 20 thousand rupees per Kanal in Tulmulla for the Central University when Omar Abdullah was the Chief Minister.
Another protestor, Muhammad Yaqoob Mir from Barthana said that they are urging the Government to compensate them as per the law and ensure that they get the same as per the new rates that are prevalent.
“We should be amply compensated because if the land is taken, then we will be left with nothing; we should be compensated so that we could buy 1 Kanal for at least 10 kanals of land that the Government is set to acquire,” he said.
The protestors urged the higher-ups including the LG, Manoj Sinha to intervene in the matter and direct the officials to address the issues of the farmers whose land is being acquired.
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