A large number of farmers, including women, held a mahapanchayat at Panchgaon in Manesar here on Sunday against the state government’s proposal to acquire over 1,800-acre belonging to half-a-dozen villages, including Kasan.
The meeting held under the aegis of “Zameen Bachao, Kisan Bachao Sangarsh Samiti” was also attended by farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni and several political leaders.
Holding a sit-in agitation at Manesar for around three months, the farmers have been demanding that the government either release their land or increase the compensation to ₹11 crore per acre. The acquisition process for the land was initiated in 2011, but was delayed due to long legal battle. The government has now been offering ₹55 lakh per acre for the acquisition.
Samiti’s president ex-Sarpanch Rohtash Yadav said the farmers had pleaded with Chief Minister Manohar Lal, the local MP, MLA and the officials concerned to release their land and the ongoing agitation had almost completed three months, but the government had no sympathy for them.
He reiterated that the farmers would not allow their land to be acquired till the time their demands were not met. He said the government’s job was to provide employment and facilities to its citizens and not render them homeless.
Mr. Yadav added that the government must listen to the farmers and not acquire land without their consent.
The government on Sunday extended an offer to the agitating farmers for talks with the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation officials on September 22. But the farmers leaders announced to hold another mahapanchayat on October 9 and block the road if the government failed to resolve the matter before the deadline.
The farmer and political leaders at the meeting accused the government of failing to protect the interests of the farming community.
(EOM)
