Cong,BSP in face-off over compensation for Rae Bareli project

When inquired,it came out the farmers have been paid between Rs 9.74 lakh to Rs 12.42 lakh per hectare,which comes to around Rs 97 and Rs 120 per sqm. While this amount is quite low,as compared to about Rs 880 per square meter compensation paid to farmers in Greater Nodia and about Rs 570 paid to farmers in Tappal,the officials said the same formula is being adopted by Railways across the country.

The officials claim the majority of the 1200 project-affected families have taken their compensation and only 35 cases are left,about 20 of whom cannot be located. Only two families have refused to accept the compensation.

“The land acquisition for Rae Bareli Rail Coach Factory and at Greater Noida cannot be compared. The majority of land in concern in Rae Bareli is a barren land and is being acquired for a government development project which will generate employment. But in Greater Noida,fertile land is being acquired to benefit certain private company with hardly any benefit to locals,” said Akhilesh Pratap Singh,Congress spokesperson,who was with Sonia Gandhi during her two-day tour to Rae Bareli.

While Congress leaders justified the compensation rate paid to the farmers,the fact remains the ambitious factory,the foundation stone of which was laid in February 2007 by Sonia Gandhi,is yet to provide employment to local youths as was promised. “The recruitment for the factory is yet to start and locals would be taken into consideration. Although,at present,about 80 per cent of the labourers deployed at the factory are from the neighbouring areas only,” said Singh.

“We have been proactive in land acquisition in this case,” said an officer of the Railway Ministry.