Uttar Pradesh farmers’ agitation ends

TAPPAL - The farmers’ agitation in Tappal town of Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district was withdrawn Tuesday after the government enhanced the compensation for land acquired for the Yamuna Expressway project.

The government also released from jail farmers’ leader Rambabu Katelia, as demanded by the protesters, District Magistrate K. Ravendra Naik said.

The compensation amount has been increased from Rs.449 per square metre to Rs.570 per square metre.

Compensation of Rs.10 lakh each will be given to the family members of the two farmers killed in the violence Saturday. The amount has been enhanced from Rs.5 lakh announced earlier.

The government has announced maximum relief to the farmers in view of their emotional attachment to their land, Naik said.

Under the agreement, the farmers can decide whether or not they want to give their land for a separate 500 hectare project of the Yamuna Expressway project. The farmers’ consent would not affect the expressway project, Naik added.

On Aug 14, two farmers died in police firing on farmers resisting the arrest of their leader Rambabu Katelia. In the clash, a police constable was also killed. The farmers torched the Jattari and Bajna police posts when the police attempted to arrest the farmers in a bid to crush the agitation.

The farmers were demanding higher compensation for the land acquired for the Yamuna Expressway. The farmers had earlier agreed to Rs.449 per square metre of land, but were demanding money on par with Noida farmers at the rate Rs.880 per square metre.

The farmers destroyed the site offices and walls erected to construct the expressway. Work on the expressway had come to a halt as the farmers demanded Katelia’s immediate release.

They also demanded Rs.25 lakh compensation each for the families of the victims killed in the firing.

The state government constituted the Yamuna Expressway Authority in 2001 to construct a road along the river Yamuna from Noida to Agra.

The Jai Prakash group was awarded the contract for the project. In the concessions for the developer, five land parcels of 500 hectares each were to be given to the company. Three land parcels are situated in Gautambudh Nagar and one each in Aligarh and Agra.

Just before the farmers’ protest in the Aligarh district, 500 hectares of land was being acquired from five villages — Jikarpur, Kansera, Tappal, Siyarol and Jahangarh.

The project was originally to be completed in May 2013 but the deadline was advanced to March 2011.