Farmers not allowed to meet PM, block rail traffic

Amritsar, Dec 20 (UNI) Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated that a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) would be developed on the outskirts of the Holy City, farmers of villages where the proposed project is to be located, rallied to block rail traffic on the Amritsar-Jalandhar section for two hours today.

The farmers resorted to this action after their delegation was not allowed to meet the Prime Minister at the Circuit House this morning. They wanted to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister stressing their objections to the setting up of the 1200-acres SEZ on their fertile land along NH-I near Manawal village.

The state convenor of the Kisan Sangarsh Committee, Satnam Singh Pannu who led the protest said they were forced to resort to this action as the district administration did not allow them to meet the Prime Minister. The Sangarsh Committee, consisting of eight Kisan Unions is spearheading the protest against the proposed SEZ.

The SEZ is a brainchild of the Prime Minister, who in his speech at a public rally reiterated that the project would be located in Amritsar.

Mr Pannu claimed the state government was doling out just Rs 6-10 lakhs per acre to farmers of about ten villages, whose land is expected to be acquired for the SEZ. He said the farmers ought to be paid the commercial rate which was Rs one crore an acre, besides the company entrusted to develop the SEZ should provide jobs to one member of each family that will be uprooted.

Deputy Commissioner K S Bhullar when contacted said the farmers protest was not justified as the government had already withdrawn the DLF to develop the SEZ. As per the new order of the government the developers of the project will now directly negotiate with the farmers for the land, he said.

''We will only acquire 15 per cent of the total land required to provide basic amenities to the developers, including approach roads'', Mr Bhullar said.

Meanwhile following the notification of the government, DLF is now again reviewing the project. '' We are studying the economic viability of the project after the government notification'', a DLF official added.

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