Patna: Thousands of farmers came out on the streets of Patna on Monday (August 25) under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha regarding land acquisition and farmers’ problems. 11 farmers’ organizations led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha took out a march from Buddha Smriti Park. The protesting farmers had come out to surround the Chief Minister’s residence, but the police stopped them at Dak Bungalow intersection.
Anger against land acquisition: Farmers protesting under the banner of Samyukta Morcha allege that the state government wants to forcibly grab the fertile land of farmers in the name of land acquisition. The acquisition process is going on in many districts but the compensation rate has been fixed very low. Farmers say that land is their lifeline, with the help of which they feed their family. If the land is taken away, they will be left with no means of employment.
‘Farmers on the road for their rights’: Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Pradeep Hooda from Haryana says that they are demanding security for their future from the government. Farmers demand that the Koel Canal project, where water is not reaching, many areas of Bihar are flooded. If the flood water is properly utilized, the entire Bihar will become green.
“There is flood water, if that water is put into the Koel Canal Dam, then both the areas will become green. Even after all the problems, if the farmer does farming, he does not get the price for his crop. When the government wants the land of the farmers, it occupies that land and he does not get proper compensation. The farmer is not asking for anything, he has come out on the road only to demand his rights.” – Pradeep Hooda, leader, United Kisan Morcha
Farmers are facing livelihood problems: Farmer Santosh Kumar Bharti, who came under the banner of United Kisan Morcha, says that we are laborers who do farming on our land. The government is taking the land of farmers in the name of industry and factory. Farmers are not getting proper compensation for this and neither are they getting jobs.
Our livelihood depends on this land, that is why people have come out on the streets. The entire game of land acquisition is being played to benefit industrialists and big capitalists.” – Santosh Kumar Bharti, farmer
Sudhakar Singh’s warning to the government: RJD MP from Buxar Sudhakar Singh also participated in the protest. Raising his voice in favour of the farmers, he said that today all the farmer organizations of Bihar have come under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha to make the Chief Minister understand the problems of the farmers. If the government does not do justice to the farmers, then according to the Land Acquisition Act, the farmers should get four times the market value.
“The farmers’ land should be acquired only after receiving the money. Right now whatever land is being acquired by the government is happening without paying any money. Farmers get their money only when they file cases for their compensation. That is why we have come out on the streets of Patna to unmask the conspiracies of the government.” – Sudhakar Singh, RJD MP
Demands of farmers’ organizations: 11 farmers’ organizations involved in this demonstration have made a joint demand to the government regarding the problems of farmers, the main demand in this is-
Acquisition of farmers’ land should be done only with their consent.
Compensation for the acquired land should be given 4 times more than the market price.
A solid guarantee of employment and rehabilitation should be given to the families affected by land acquisition.
The process of forced acquisition should be stopped immediately.
The land to be acquired should be properly classified so that compensation is given at market rate.
Land should be acquired only after receiving the compensation amount.
A gate should be installed in the Kootku Dam of North Koel Canal Project.
MSP should get legal guarantee.
All the incomplete irrigation projects of Bihar should be started immediately.
Free electricity should be made available to farmers for agricultural work.
Warning of fierce agitation: Demonstration regarding their demand The farmer leaders who are protesting say that demands were made to the government several times in the past years, but no concrete action was taken. Now farmers have no other option left except to take to the streets. The United Kisan Morcha has announced that if the government does not accept their demands, then a blueprint for a statewide movement will be prepared in the coming days.
The government has made this arrangement: The Bihar government has made a beginning to acquire land for the schemes of the central and state government. The Revenue and Land Reforms Department has constituted a five-member committee at the district level to decide the amount of compensation for the land. This committee determines the category of land in addition to the rate of compensation for the land.
Village land of seven categories: The Revenue and Land Reforms Department has divided the village land into 7 categories. Commercial land, industrial land, residential land, land on both sides of the highway and main road, irrigated land, non-irrigated land, and sandy, rocky, and Chanwar land.
Urban land of six categories: City land has been divided into 6 categories It is divided into commercial and residential land of main road, land of main road, industrial land, land of branch road, land of other road, agricultural and non-residential land.
Members of the committee: The committee which has been formed to decide the amount of compensation after the acquisition of land, the Additional Collector (Revenue) will be the chairman of this committee. Apart from this, the District Land Acquisition Officer will be the member secretary, District Sub Registrar Deputy Development Commissioner and the Land Reforms Sub Collector of the area in which the land is being acquired.There are members.
