Around 5,000 protestors, mostly comprising IMT, Manesar industrialists and workers, on Friday protested against the HSIIDC for levying additional charges for land given to them about two decades ago.

The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (HSIIDC) has sent notices to industrialists, asking them to pay additional compensation to farmers for their acquired land. The notices were sent after the Supreme Court in 2010 ordered the HSIIDC to pay enhanced relief to the farmers from Rs. 4 lakh per acre to Rs. 10 lakh.

Manesar Industries Welfare Association (MIWA), in association with the Confederation of Haryana Industries Associations (CHIA), consisting of 25 associations from across Haryana, called for a ‘bandh’ on Friday. The protestors marched to the HSIIDC office and handed out a memorandum, saying the industry body was being unfair in levying the enhanced land cost on them.

“We mobilised 5,000 workers for the protest march. More than 500 industries participated with their workers, executives as well as their families. Our workers are compelled to live in miserable conditions with no housing facility, educational institutions for their children and healthcare facility,” said Jagdish Kukreja, joint secretary, MIWA.

The enhanced land relief issue has been brewing into a major bone of contention between the industrialists and the township promoter.

Though the HSIIDC has begun releasing money to the farmers in the wake of the apex court order, it has simultaneously been asking industrialists to pay up as the buyer-seller agreement says the enhanced cost has to be borne by the plot owners.