UP govt hikes compensation for Aligarh farmers

Aligarh, Aug 17: After days of agitation, the Uttar Pradesh government finally decided to hike compensation to the farmers by 20 per cent.

The Mayawati government on Tuesday, Aug 17 announced the increament of the compensation to Rs 570 per square metre to all the farmers who will be hit by the land acquisition for a township along the Taj Expressway.

"The package offered by the state government includes the provision of raising the compensation price offered to the farmers to Rs 570 per square metre (about 20 per cent higher than the earlier price)," Senior Superintendent of Police, Aligarh, Satender Veer Singh told a news agency.

Now, the farmer leaders are expected to hold talks with the kisan panchayat to seek their consent.

Besides hiking the compensation, the state government has also decided to set up a high level committee to review all other issues related to acquisition of farm land along the Noida-Taj Expressway.

The committee will be headed by the divisional commissioner.

Farmers have been holding protests in Aligarh and Mathura since Saturday, Aug 14. The agitation turned violent when the police was brought in to control the situation. Clashes between police and the farmers and firing have led to death of four people.

The plight of the farmers and criticism against the police action rocked the Parliament on Monday, Aug 16.

OneIndia News