Eleven police personnel and several activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) were injured in a clash over land acquisition for construction of the Jamnagar-Amritsar national highway in Bathinda on Friday.
Police used tear gas shells, water cannons and mild lathicharge to disperse the protesters on Dunewala-Shergarh road in Sangat block. This is the second time in 11 days that BKU has faced police action. Earlier, on November 11, police resorted to lathicharge after three government officials were held hostage in Raike Kalan over tardy paddy procurement.
As BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) members announced to stage a protest and take back possession of land from the administration, a large number of supporters from different districts gathered near Dunewala to join them.
Police authorities, led by the director general of police (DIG), Bathinda range, Harcharan Singh Bhullar and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal, asked the protesters to desist from taking possession of the land that is now in the custody of the government.
District authorities said the land’s possession was given to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) after paying a compensation of ₹693 crore with the consent of landowners.
{{/usCountry}}District authorities said the land’s possession was given to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) after paying a compensation of ₹693 crore with the consent of landowners.
{{/usCountry}}As protesters refused to relent, a clash broke out on the rural link road where several rounds of tear gas shells were fired.
DIG Bhullar warned that the union activists will not be allowed to go near the land.
Kondal said 11 cops were admitted at Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Civil Hospital and a case will be registered against protesters for attacking the police personnel while trying to take control of the land illegally.
“We had called in the additional police forces from Mansa, Faridkot, and Muktsar besides the reserved battalions to bring the violent situation under control. We are getting more reinforcement to maintain law and order,” she added.
The situation started turning tense after the district administration began taking land at Shergarh, Dunewala and Bhagwangarh villages on Thursday morning. Several protesters were taken into preventive custody.
In a statement issued on Friday, the general secretary of Ekta Ugrahan’s faction of the BKU Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan alleged that the action taken by the administration yesterday was arbitrary.
He claimed that the landowners were paid a compensation of ₹48 lakh per acre whereas the actual rate of land is between ₹82-92 lakh per acre.
Deputy commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray said the protest was a mischief as BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) called in its supporters from different districts and there was no landowner among them whose land was taken for the ambitious highway project.
“The landowners received payment months ago and gave an undertaking to the revenue authorities in this regard. How can one refuse to give possession when the payment is made in full? Moreover, there is a well-laid procedure where a landowner can approach the arbitrator with a petition to enhance the compensation. But the land’s possession cannot be disputed,” added Parray.