A LARGE number of farmers came out of their villages and took out a procession on Saturday here to protest the establishment of the proposed Hi-Tech City in the district.
It may be mentioned that the members of Varanasi Development Authority Board had okayed the establishment of the proposed Hi-Tech City in Varanasi between Rohania and Mohansarai on 22 acres of land.
The agitated farmers were of the view that they had not allowed the district administration to acquire their land for the establishment of a hi-tech city in Varanasi district.
A meeting was organised at Chandpur Ramleela ground on Saturday where the agitated farmers strongly criticised the State government and apprehended that the move would compound the miseries of farmers.
Farmers’ leader Dr Parasanath Patel said that this move was anti-farmer which would drive the farmers to starvation. He added that farmers would not allow the government to acquire land at any cost.
“The State government should provide fertilizers to the farmers at the cheapest rate possible and ensure adequate supply of water and power for the purpose of development instead of acquiring the farm lands in the name of Hi- Tech City”, he said.
{{/usCountry}}“The State government should provide fertilizers to the farmers at the cheapest rate possible and ensure adequate supply of water and power for the purpose of development instead of acquiring the farm lands in the name of Hi- Tech City”, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Coordinator of Kisan Sangharsh Morcha Vijay Raj Yadav said that the area selected for the establishment of Hi-Tech City was agricultural land and in case the land was acquired by the district administration, the farmers would be forced to commit suicide. He warned the state government to withdraw the proposal otherwise the farmers would launch a State-wide agitation.
Later, the farmers took out a procession on tractors and reached the district headquarters where they gheraoed the office of the district magistrate.
The agitated farmers also handed over a memorandum to the representative of the DM against establishment of the Hi-Tech City in the district.