Katra-Delhi expressway: Farmers gherao Sangrur DC’s office to oppose land acquisition

Protesters said many farmers are at the Delhi border to oppose the Centre’s new agricultural laws. So, they won’t allow any acquisition until those farmers return

Hundreds of farmers gheraoed the Sangrur deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday to protest land acquisition for the Katra-Delhi expressway.

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The protesters, hailing from Sangrur and Patiala districts, blocked all three gates of the district administration complex, claiming that the government was forcefully snatching their land.

The Katra-Delhi Expressway, also known as NE-05, will reduce the travel time between Katra and Delhi to six-and-a-half hours, and cover Patiala, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar.

Jagjeet Singh, one of the protesters, said, “Many farmers are at the Delhi border to oppose the Centre’s new agricultural laws. So we will not allow any acquisition until those farmers return.”

He added, “The protest is not about compensation. We have decided that farmers will not give up their land to the Centre as it will ultimately hand it over to the corporate houses. The expressway will not help farmers in any way; instead, it will only make cultivation in the area difficult.”

Ranjit Singh, another protester, said, “The farmer unions held protests on the Delhi border and we staged a dharna outside the deputy commissioner’s office. We have informed the farmer unions about the situation. This land acquisition for Katra-Delhi Expressway is the first step of the implementation of the three agriculture laws.”