Protesting farmers lathicharged in Punjab

Tarn Taran, Dec 26 (UNI) As many as 30 persons, including policemen, were injured in police lathicharge on farmers, agitating against setting up of SEZ, on the Amritsar-Tarn Taran highway near Chabba village today.

The police canecharged the farmers and even lobbed teargas shells to control the protestors, who had blocked the highway and turned violent. The agitators in turn hurled stones at the policemen, leading to injuries to a number of personnel.

The policemen also used water cannons to disperse the farmers.

About 30 to 40 farmers were taken into custody and arrested under various sections of the IPC for breach of peace.

Senior police officials claimed that they had to use force after the farmers pelted stones at the police.

The farmers, numbering about 300, blocked the highway to protest against the setting up of Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Amritsar, on fertile agricultural land. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during his visit to Amritsar on December 20, had reiterated that the SEZ would be developed on the outskirts of the Holy City.

The farmers also demanded waiver of agricultural loans by the state government and higher MSPs for crops like wheat and paddy.

The protest was organised by the Kisan Sangrash Committee, which comprises of eight Kisan Unions.

During Dr Singh's visit to Amritsar, the Committee had blocked rail traffic on the Amritsar-Jalandhat rail line near Vallaha village after a delegation of farmers was denied permission to meet the Prime Minister. The Committee wanted to apprise Dr Singh of their demands including shifting of the SEZ project, the brain child of the PM, from its proposed location near Mannawal village.

Mr Satnam Singh Pannu, convenor of the Committee, claimed that 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 that the farmers ought to 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.

However, state officials described the farmers' protest as unjustified as the government had already withdrawn the notification issued to acquire land for the private real estate company DLF to develop the SEZ.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.

The government will now only acquire 15 percent of the total land required to provide basic amenities to the developers, including approach roads.

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 when contacted said.

UNI XC-HS RR HS1854