Farmers demonstrate against land acquisition in UP

CHALESAR - Hundreds of farmers demonstrated in Chalesar near Agra on Tuesday against inadequate compensation paid to them for the acquisition of their farmlands.

Farmers belonging to the villages of Garhirami, Bas Badaan and Chaugan gathered in Chalesar area where the construction of the Yamuna expressway ends, and carried out more protests.

Angry farmers used tractors to break the walls of a proposed township nearby, and also ploughed fields near the expressway, which they had sold off to the State government, in protest.

They also violently clashed with police personnel present at the site.

According to media reports, more than half a dozen government vehicles were damaged by the violent crowd of farmers.

Police officials along with the Circle Office and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, were injured during the scuffles and pelting of stones by the farmers.

On Sunday three farmers were killed when police fired at the farmers protesting inadequate compensation against acquisition of land in an area bordering Aligarh and Mathura districts.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to hike the compensation money for farmers.

Farmers will now be paid Rs 570 per square foot instead of Rs 436 per square foot, as was decided earlier.

The government had also decided to double the compensation for farmers who died in the protests to Rs 10 lakh.

The State Government had earlier fixed compensation at the rate of Rs 425 per sq m for the financial year 2010-11 for Aligarh district. Besides, an ex-gratia amount of Rs 24 per sq m was also being given.

The 165-km eight-lane Yamuna Expressway has been taken up by the UP Government to reduce the driving time between New Delhi and Agra. (ANI)