Maya govt offers higher compensation to farmers

The Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh has offered a higher compensation package to agitating farmers here for their land acquired for Yamuna Expressway project.

Agra: The Mayawati government in Uttar
Pradesh has offered a higher compensation package to agitating
farmers here for their land acquired for Yamuna Expressway
project but fissures surfaced today among the peasants with
one faction rejecting the overture.

Adding to the worries for the government, farmers in
Aligarh and Mathura also demanded today a hike in the rates
for their land.

UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh made the offer
of higher compensation at a meeting with farmers`
representatives at Etmadpur tehsil in Agra last night. The
government had on Tuesday made a similar offer to protesting
farmers of Aligarh.

An additional compensation of Rs 121 per square metre
will be given to the farmers of affected villages in Agra in
form of a special relief, Singh said. With this, "compensation
to farmers will be Rs 580 per square metre," he said. The
earlier rate was Rs 459 per square metre.

However, the action committee of the farmers in Etmadpur
rejected the offer. A spokesman of the committee told
reporters here today that the farmers wanted the same kind of
agreement that was reached with the farmers of Aligarh
district who they said were free to decide whether to give
land for the Expressway.

As far as compensation was concerned, the spokesman said
their demand was for the same rate as given to farmers in
Noida for land acquired for the Yamuna expressway.

Farmers claimed Noida farmers were given a compensation
of Rs 850 per sq yard of land.

As for land acquired for the proposed township of the
real estate group which is constructing the Expressway, the
farmers said they would not part with their land. The group is
planning a township near Etmadpur.

About the agreement reached with the UP cabinet secretary
last night, the farmers in Agra said the local administration
had taken with them 8 members of their 33-member action
committee and had talks with them. These 8 members had been
removed from the committee for "diluting" the demand, they
claimed.

The spokesman said the action committee would continue to
lead the agitation in a "Gandhian" way till their demands are
met.

Putting forward fresh demands, a hardline faction of
farmers in Aligarh sought a compensation of Rs 940 per square
metre for their land which was already a part of the
constructed Expressway. Till now, their demand was limited to
the land which was being acquired for townships along the
Expressway.

-PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.