Infrastructure projects hit by frequent farmer protests

On Monday,farmers held a panchayat in Saharanpur,demanding hike in compensation. They are particularly sore over the use of their land for construction of transmission towers by the Power Grid Corporation Of India Limited (PGCIL) without paying any compensation.

PGCIL is constructing a 165 km-long Dehradoon-Baghpat double circuit transmission line of 400 KV capacity. Work on the project commenced in August 2009 and is targeted to be completed by August. PGCIL will construct around 800 towers and each tower needs 400 sq metre land.

Invoking the archaic the Indian Telegraph Act 1885,PGCIL erects towers on agriculture land without paying compensation; it only pays for damage to the crop.

“The commercial value of the land is reduced to nothing after the construction of the transmission towers. The farmers are also barred from making permanent construction on the land and conducting agro-forestry activity,yet the PGCIL is not willing to compensate them,” said Yogesh Dahiya,president of the Farmers Forum spearheading the agitation.

The PGCIL,however,defends its practice. “We are doing only what is permissible under the law. The Indian Telegraph Act 1885 provides only for the payment of compensation for damage to the crop and close to two dozen judgments by different high courts have upheld the validity of the law,” said SS Tomar,Project Manager of PGCIL at Saharanpur,adding,“The farmers,instead of agitating against us,should approach the Centre for amendment in the act’’.

The Bawana-Nangal-Bhatinda gas pipeline project of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is also facing resistance from the farmers. The pipeline was scheduled to be completed by April this year,but has been delayed by six to eight months.

The GAIL makes a one-time payment at the rate of 10 per cent of the cost of the land to the farmers,but farmers want this hiked to at least 30 per cent.

“UP is the most difficult place to work. We are paying the farmers 10 per cent of the value of land as per the circle rate fixed by the district magistrate. We are not acquiring the and and paying for the right of use of the land,’’ said KB Singh,Project Manager of GAIL adding,

He said the work was almost complete in Saharanpur but was held up in Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar and they were not getting cooperation from the district administration.