Industrialisation on agricultural land inevitable: Badal

Chandigarh, Nov 2 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal today said industrialisation on agricultural land was inevitable and Punjab was no exception to the phenomenon.

''There is no other land left for the industry to grow,'' Mr Badal said when he was aksed at a press conference here whether he was in favour of acquiring the agricultural land for setting up industry.

Mr Badal said the only demand of the farmers of Punjab has been remunerative prices for the farm land which was being acquired for either Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or by the private industry.

The SAD chief said if his party formed the next government in Punjab, he would review the entire process of land acquisition ''with the will of the farmers'' who should get the market price for their land.

''No farmer is against industrialisation but they want market price for their land,'' he said.

Mr Badal told reporters that the SAD's political affairs committee met here today and passed a resolution terming the hike in the minimum support price for wheat to Rs 750 per quintal as ''an eyewash''.

The payment to the farmers for their produce should be proportionate to the prevailing price index, he said. ''Farmers want profitable prices and not the minimum support price.'' MORE UNI PS PK BS1659