Date:23/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/23/stories/2008112354800900.htm

National

Farmers’ society alleges forcible grabbing of farmland

Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: The Manimajra Farmers’ Welfare and Environment Protection Society has accused the Chandigarh Administration of grabbing farmland of small and marginal farmers at less than one per cent of the market rate.

While expressing resentment over the Administration’s “shifting stand” in implementation of the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy-2007 (NRRP), the society charged it with benefiting property dealers and industries at the cost of farmers.

The Administration had earlier denied the benefits of NRPP-2007 in regard to land acquisition process pertaining to the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park Phase-III and other projects, stating that this policy is applicable only in cases where more than 400 families are displaced, and in Chandigarh less than 400 families are being displaced.

The Society had lodged a complaint with the Union Ministry of Rural Development, which intervened and directed the Chandigarh Administration to rectify its interpretation of NRRP-2007 and clarified that the policy applies even to a single displaced individual.

The farmers alleged that the Administratio wants to grab prime agricultural land at very low rates and share more than 99 per cent of the revenue with industries.

President of the society Hardial Singh Johl said a delegation would visit New Delhi shortly to apprise Home Ministry officials of “the attempts of UT Administrator General (Retd) S.F. Rodrigues to browbeat honest officials and make them toe his line in respect of various forcible land acquisitions”.