KUMARHATTI: The government move to acquire 1,881 bigha of land at Bagheri and Gholowal panchayats, about 30-km from Nalagarh has sparked a wide spread criticism among farmer community of area. In a meeting with administration today, held to record the objection towards govt move the hundred of villagers have registered their protest. The enraged villagers including women have asked the administration to give them poison rather to ask them to hand over their fertile land.
The villagers have pledged to not to give their land to government at any cost. The land supposed to be acquired by government for industrial purpose was an agriculture land, said Mr. Anil Sharma BDC member from Bagheri panchayat. Over the years the land was an only mean for villagers to make their both ends meet, he asserted. The most of the land was irrigated and efforts to turn it industry would badly hit the economy of farmers, he maintained.
The forcible acquisition of land would not be allowed at any cost, asserted Mr. Gurdial Singh, Pradhan of Bagheri panchayat. He said out of 1881 bigha, around 1500-bihga land was arable. By acquiring the land the 75 percent villagers of area would be turn landless. There was no logic to make the villagers land less and planned industry, he remarked.
The most of villagers have landholding of 10 to 15 bigha, he said. In such scenario snatching the land from them in lieu of money would land them in bad condition, he rued. The govt presumption that the land was not of any use was wrong as it was quite fertile and useful for villagers, said Mr. Singh.
Both Bagheri and Gholowal panchayats have handed over their resolutions to administration team against acquisition of land besides sending a letter to Chief Minister to help out in the matter.
The administration team comprising of DC, Solan, GM, Solan Industries, Member Secretary, Single Window Clearance Agency, Baddi Barotiwala and Nalagarh and SDM, Nalagarh.
Himachal is predominantly a hilly state with very small land avilable for agricuture and that too in and around villages except areas in lower Himachal adjacent to Haryana & Punjab. Acquisition of 1881 bighas of agricultural land close to Punjab is going to effect a very large population who would be forced to move out to other distant areas. Since availability of land in Himachal is limited they may have to go to neighboring States in search of land where they would have to spend much more than what they would be getting as compensation to buy equal size of land.The govt.should give them adequate compensation so that they can re-establish themselves wherever they go.