Sanawad (Madhya Pradesh): Scores of farmers from nearby Bhanbarad village staged a massive protest on Monday demanding suitable compensation of the land acquired from them for widening Indore-Ichhapur State Highway.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has acquired agricultural land from the farmers in Bhanbarad area to widen the Indore-Ichhapur highway to four lanes. The farmers ended their protest after the sitting MLA Sachin Birla assured to meet the collector wit=thin five days and resolve their issue.
The protestors complained that they had taken up the matter before the administration and NHAI officials many times, but all in vain. Seeing no response coming from the authorities, the aggrieved farmers took to streets and staged a sit-in agitation on Indore-Ichhapur highway passing through Bhanbarad village. Hundreds of farmers participated in the protest raising slogans, demanding equitable compensation for the acquired land.
Mohan Malgayan, who is leading the protesting farmers, alleged that the compensation assessment of the acquired land of farmers has been done in a discriminatory and unjust manner by the NHAI and the administrative officials. He claimed that the affected-farmers have been complaining against discriminatory compensation assessment to the NHA officials for the last 6-7 months.
The farmers have not been given proper compensation for their trees, wire fencing, water sources, pipelines and other items, said Malgayan. He also accused the NHAI officials of committing gross anomalies in assessment of compensation. There are huge discrepancies in compensation and these should be removed, alleged the farmer, adding that he further alleged.
MLA to lead farmersí delegation to collector
Local MLA Sachin Birla reached the dharna site and listened to issues of protesting farmers. Birla assured that he would lead a delegation of the affected-farmers to Khargone collector within five days. Appropriate and just decisions would be taken in the interest of the farmers, said the legislator. The farmers ended their agitation following the assurance of the MLA.
