E-Paper
Farmers with land on border not paid compensation for three years
Farmers of 220 villages who own land between the barbed wire fence and the zero line at the India-Pakistan border continue to wait compensation that is due to them for not being able to use their land effectively, because of restrictions that the BSF imposes in the area
Tarn Taran Over 35,000 farmers of 220 villages who own land between the barbed wire fence and the zero line at the India-Pakistan border continue to wait compensation that is due to them for not being able to use their land effectively, because of restrictions that the Border Security Force (BSF) imposes in the area.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government that was in power at the Centre in the early 2000s had started a scheme to provide relief worth ₹2,500 per acre to border farmers. In 2016, the compensation was enhanced to ₹10,000 per acre in 2016. The Centre and state governments contribute 50% each to fund the compensation.
Farmers in Tarn Taran are harassed as the administration is yet to clear Utilisation Certificates (UCs) on distribution of compensation to some farmers for 2016 and 2017.
The land, roughly around 27,000 acre, is spread across the six districts of Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka.
Farmers, who had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) in December 2020, for the release of the compensation from 2018-2020, said the Centre was ready to issue its 50% share, but with a condition that the state government should clear the UCs of the compensation distributed to farmers for 2016 and 2017.
Farmers, however, have now threatened an indefinite stir outside Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh’s residence in Patiala if the issue is not sorted out by July.
“During our hearings in court, the BSF said that it will release its share immediately after the state government issues UCs of the earlier distributed compensation. Barring Tarn Taran, other districts have issued the UCs. Tarn Taran has not issued the UCs due to a scam in the distribution of compensation in 2016 and 2017,” said Raghbir Singh Bhangala, president of Border Area Farmers Welfare Committee (BAFWC).
“Over 4,000 farmers were excluded in Tarn Taran for 2016 and 2017 compensation. Some revenue officers, with the collusion of the then sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Anupreet Kaur, misappropriated the funds. These farmers, who belong to 32 villages, are now being asked by officials to sign papers that they have received the compensation,” he alleged.
Kabal Singh Muhawa, BAFWC’s Amritsar district president, said, “The compensation should be released immediately as many farmers are struggling to make ends meet due to covid-19.”
Bhikhwind SDM Rajesh Sharma said, “The scam was pegged at around ₹2 crore. We have recovered around 30 lakh from the accused and this amount has been distributed to some farmers. We have requested the government to release last three year’s compensation amount.” He said a case against the accused in this regard is pending in a court and UCs of ₹1.75 crore could only be issued, once it was settled.
