E-Paper
High Court proposes tribunal to settle border farmers’ relief claims
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the Punjab government on setting up a tribunal each in six border districts of the state to look into various aspects, including compensation claims of farmers living along the international border with Pakistan.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the Punjab government on setting up a tribunal each in six border districts of the state to look into various aspects, including compensation claims of farmers living along the international border with Pakistan.
During the resumed hearing, the division bench headed by justice Surya Kant asked both the Union as well as state governments to submit replies by April 23, the next date of hearing.
The court recorded that since there were disputes about the facts in the case about disbursement of compensation, entitlement for the same and identity of farmers, it would be better to constitute tribunals headed by a local district judge in each district, which would also review the compensation ought to be given to these farmers so that their claims could be settled in a time-bound manner, the HC stated.
During the hearing, the HC was informed that the government intended to complete the process of land acquisition of 11-ft-wide land along the border by August-end. The Punjab also told the HC that the farmers had been paid compensation till 2014-end, wherever there were no disputes.
The HC was hearing a petition by the Punjab Border Kisan Welfare Society, having members in the border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Pathankot and Fazilka, who have approached the high court, seeking directions to the state government that their land measuring around 34,000 acres should be acquired as per the Land Acquisition Act and they should be adequately compensated.
