Farmers start indefinite dharna

YAMUNANAGAR: Amid reports that the Haryana government may denotify the land acquired for Dadupur-Nalvi canal about 10 years ago, hundreds of farmers on Tuesday started indefinite dharna here on Tuesday.

Led by Rashtriya Kisan Sangh leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, protesting farmers urged the government to complete the canal to provide relief to farmers living in dark zones. They also demanded enhanced compensation to the farmers whose land was acquired for the canal.

“The government is planning to return the land to farmers and the court has enhanced the compensation for the acquired land. The canal is required for irrigation in the dark zones, where ground water has gone below 400 feet,” Charuni said while addressing the protesters.

“We have started an indefinite agitation today and it will continue till the government starts construction of the canal and give compensation to the farmers,” Charuni added.

He said the farmers will also hold dharnas outside the residence of the MLAs of the ruling BJP in Yamunanagar, Ambala and Kurukshetra districts, if their demand is not met.

Though the officials in the revenue department denied reports that the government has decided to denotify the land and return it back to the farmers, the delay in construction of the canal has worried the farmers.

The land acquisition was started for this canal in 2004 and the government had decided to acquire about 860 acres of land from Yamunanagar to Kurukshetra district.