Farmers’ stage protests, burn vehicles in Agra

AGRA - Thousands of farmers in Agra Wednesday staged a protest against the inadequate compensation offered for their acquired land by blocking traffic on the national highway and torching vehicles near Chalesar area, which has become the hotspot of protests for the last few days.

The police had to open fire when the rampaging mob continued to pelt stone and refused to move back. No on was injured in the firing.

The district administrative and senior police officers including DIG Deepesh Juneja tried hard to persuade the agitating farmers to move back and accept the new compensation rates.

A roadways bus was burnt near the Kuberpur crossing, police said. The police-farmer exchange of stone-pelting continued for more than an hour. Traffic on the Firozabad road had to be diverted from Ram Bagh crossing towards Aligarh road.

Several cyclists carrying milk tanks were also attacked.

Trains were stopped in Aligarh and Mathura, according to BJP sources.

The bandh (shutdown), however, did not evoke the kind of response that was expected by the farmers lobby.

District authorities were particularly concerned about the safety of the Jaypee hotel which is to be marched upon by the farmers Thursday.

The struggle committee has also threatened to disrupt the programme of the Uttar Pradesh governor Aug 29.

“The whole Agra belt is in turmoil and the farmers seem hell bent on settling many scores with the state government this time. More importantly, the future of the Yamuna Expressway is in jeopardy, particularly in the Taj Trapezium Zone for which the project promoters are yet to get clearance from the Supreme Court,” activist Ravi Singh said.

The farmers are agitating against the inadequate compensation offered by the Mayawati government for their land acquired for building the 165 km Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway.