After institutionalising compensation for farmers affected by inclement weather, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had succeeded in showing the way forward on acquisition of land for infrastructure projects by State governments.
Mr. Kejriwal took to Twitter to announce that his government had, well before the conclusion of the last fiscal, disbursed the highest per acre compensation to residents of Siraspur, a northwest Delhi village whose land was to be acquired by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), even before the actual process of acquisition began.
“Last month, Delhi govt gave highest compensation ever given for land acquisition in the country to the farmers – Rs. 3 crore per acre,” the Chief Minister tweeted on the eve of being felicitated by farmers at a Dhanyawad Sabha organised in Narela.
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Ajesh Yadav, AAP legislator from Badli, who spearheaded a local movement demanding compensation in accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (2013) over three years, said the matter had first been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister during the AAP’s 49-day stint at the helm of the Delhi government in 2014.
“Earlier, compensation was being given according to old circle rates which would have translated into around Rs. 58 lakh per acre as the provisions of the new Act were being overlooked on which I and a contingent of local residents met Mr. Kejriwal,” Mr. Yadav told The Hindu .
“We met him again after the formation of the government in February last year and the Chief Minister tasked a team of government officials under the area’s ADM who, after more than six months of a dedicated exercise, arrived at a compensation sum of Rs. 3.7 crore per acre,” Mr. Yadav said, adding that compensation cheques had already been disbursed to families whose land was to be acquired.
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Sources said the DMRC had, on previous occasions, paid more than the circle rate to acquire land to ensure speedy implementation of its projects.