Farmers dig in, resist cops as expressway rolls throughFarmers and police scuffle during land acquisition for Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway in Punjab.
Gurdaspur: Dozens of farmers, including 16 women, were detained and several injured on Saturday during clashes with authorities over land acquisition for the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra expressway, part of the Centre's flagship
Bharatmala infrastructure project
.
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The protests erupted in Punjab's Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts.
Farmer unions have claimed that the detentions followed a police baton charge against the locals who resisted an attempt by the officials to take possession of their farmland at Cheema Khuddi village. The unions also allege that turbans were knocked off and excessive force was used. All detained individuals were released by evening, but the incident sparked renewed outrage over what farmers call unjust compensation practices.
Gurbachan Singh Chabba of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) said farmers had rushed to the site after district officials, escorted by police, had started taking control of agricultural land without fair settlement. "They offered compensation that doesn't reflect market reality," he said. "How can they expect us to give up our land for a fraction of its value?"
KMSC state vice-president Harvinder Singh Masania said the administration had attempted to take possession of a 4.5-km stretch, offering ₹36 lakh to the farmers for each acre.
He argues that the Land Acquisition Act mandates compensation up to four times the market rate, accusing the govt of betrayal and manipulation. As tensions escalated, farmers overturned tractor-trailers to block police vehicles. Masania said cops had detained 34 farmers, including women, and taken them to nearby police stations at Alliwal, Ghanie ke Bangar, and Sri Hargobindpur. All were freed later the same day.
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In Amritsar district, farmer unionist Germanjit Singh said police had detained three farmers from Nawanpind village during a peaceful demonstration against land acquisition along the Amritsar–Chowk Mehta Road. "They came to seize almost 7 acres. We resisted peacefully, yet our people were detained," he said, adding that they were released shortly after intervention by other protesters.
The expressway project has faced consistent resistance from serveral farmer unions, who claim that it threatens agricultural livelihoods and violates the principles of equitable land compensation.
The state govt has yet to comment on Saturday's incident.
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Time of India
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