BJP walks out over ‘meagre’ relief to farmers
SHIMLA: Expressing dissatisfaction over the amount of compensation being disbursed to farmers affected by four-laning of national highways, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and staged a walkout from the House on the concluding day of the monsoon session of state assembly.
The House witnessed charged atmosphere after state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti’s raised a question over the four-laning of national highways in the state and the compensation being disbursed to farmers.
Chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who also holds the public works department (PWD), replied that the state had total 18 national highways with an aggregate length of 2017.191 km.
He said during the past three years, seven state highways were upgraded to national highways. He said the state government was paying compensation for the land acquired by government under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
However, Satti demanded that the government enhance the compensation rates and pay the affected people in accordance with factor two of the Land Acquisition Act, 2015 under which the government will have to pay four times the market price for the acquiring the land .
The chief minister said that the state was paying compensation for the acquired land under factor two wherever the land price is double of the market value. He said that in case the Center asked the state to implement factor two, the government will do so.
“But right now we are implementing factor one,” he added. VIRBHADRA REJECTS DHUMAL’S REQUEST
In a supplementary question, leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal urged the chief minister to write to the Centre for enhancing the compensation rates under factor two. Virbhadra outrightly declined the request, citing financial constraints. “Our pocket will not allow us to pay more and we can only pay according to factor one. Factore one is implemented to acquire land for the state projects,” he said.
The CM instead asked the opposition to take up the matter with the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. “Right now factor one is implemented in the state. You people should approach the Centre for implementation of fector two,” he said. Dharmpur legislator Mahinder Singh Thakur asked the House to pass a resolution expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari for the 56 new national highways announced for the state.
Virbhadra Singh said that none of the BJP-ruled states have so far implemented the factor two with regard to compensation to farmer affected by four-laning of national highways.
Intervening in the discussion, Revenue minister Kaul Singh Thakur informed the House that the Centre had left it to states to decide which factors it wants to apply. Thakur said that matter was discussed in the state cabinet and it was decided to implement factor one in the state .
“We are paying the compensation for land acquisition for the state projects under factor one. So there can not be discrimination for centrally aided projects,” said Thakur. Agitated over Thakur’s reply, opposition BJP members resorted to slogan shouting and staged a walkout from the House. They later returned after a few minutes.