Following a request from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan group),Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday invited the farmers association for a meeting to discuss their demands about the Gobindpura issue at Circuit House in Bathinda on November 26. The meeting will be held at 6.30 pm. In a statement here,the chief minister said he was always open to a negotiated solution to problems related to land acquisition for the 1,320 MW Peona Thermal Plant at Gobindpura in Mansa district. He appealed to the farmers association to call off their proposed march to Chandigarh on November 22. Badal further said the government was open to consider all demands,in the wake of its decision to discuss all aspects of the issue. Earlier,the government had introduced a land policy in the state to benefit the farmer. Badal said under the policy,private land could only be acquired if the land is needed for a defined public purpose. The land will be purchased at the actual market rate and owners will receive an additional thirty per cent solatium apart from 10 per cent as non-litigation charges.
