Badal gives ownership rights to farmers for 6000 acres land

Sultanpur Lodhi, Oct 8 (UNI) The 'sangat darshan' programmee of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today proved to be a boon for the flood affected farmers of the 'mand' area, as the chief minister announced ownership rights to the farmers who were cultivating about 6000 acres of land owned by the state government in the low lying areas of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.

The farmers became jubilant as Mr Badal announced the ownership rights in response to the demands raised by the farmers of village Takia during the 'sangat darshan' held at village Bharoana in the 'mand' area of this sub division of Kapurthala district.

While addressing the farmers, Mr Badal disclosed that the ownership rights of land would be transferred in the name of the cultivators who would deposit Rs 3.50 lakh per acre in the government treasury. He directed the administration to transfer the land at the collectors rate (Rs 3.50 lakh per acre) to be deposited in six equal installments by the farmers.

Deputy Commissioner J M Balamurugan who was also present at the 'sangat darshan' said that nearly 2500 families of 37 villages who were under illegal possession of the land would be benefited with this decision. Local SDM K S Chandi said that the administration would take applications from the farmers for the transfer of land .

During the 'sangat darshan', the Chief Minister met 17 panchayats of the flood affected villages.

He however refused to accept the main demands of the flood affected farmers to enhance to compensation of the damaged paddy corp from Rs 5000 per acre to Rs 10,000 per acre. He disclosed that the state government was already giving Rs 3500 per acre as its share in the compensation of Rs 5000 per acre while the central government was also dishing out Rs 1500.

" The previous Congress government had demanded just Rs 2500 per acre as compensation for damaged crops and accordingly the central government agreed to given Rs 1500 as its share", he said while pointing out that it was the SAD-BJP government took the decision to enhance the compensation to Rs 5000 without bothering about the central share.

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