Land fetches fabulous price at Mohali

Jhurheri (Punjab), May 3 : Farmers at a Jhurheri village in Punjab have struck gold as they are offered a huge financial package as compensation for the land acquired by the government for construction of the Mohali International Airport.

The farmers whose lands have been acquired to build the Mohali International Airport have received compensation, which is higher than the prevailing market price for their lands. "We thank the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for listening to our plea. The compensation package offered by the government is better than market rates. They spoke to the farmers and fixed the rates for their lands, and then we received the money assuring them on stamp paper that there would be no litigation against the government," said Prem Singh, a village head.

Residents of this village have sold 306 acres of land to the government at a whopping price of rupees 5400 million. Farmers who have become millionaires overnight have already started making investments by purchasing more land with the amount received as compensation and also their favourite cars.

"We are very happy that we have got good rates for our lands, normally the government acquires the land first and then gives the compensation amount, but this time the government has not placed a single brick, it has not constructed anything here. We have got almost 90 percent of the amount, and will get the remaining amount very soon," said, Sukhvir Singh, a farmer.

The Mohali international airport project entails the upgrade of the existing Chandigarh domestic-cum-defence airport to international standards and is expected to attract international traffic of Punjabi passengers who have been traditionally using the Delhi international airport and more recently, the Amritsar International Airport.

ANI