Govt says will pay compensation as per new policy, but Sidhuwal residents refuse to buy it Farmers and the district administration have locked horns after the state government’s decision to hasten land acquisition in Patiala villages ahead of the new Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013, which comes into force from January 1, 2014. Hundreds of farmers in the four villages of Patiala are up in arms against the Punjab Government’s recent decision to acquire their agricultural land to raise another urban estate in Patiala. The government claims that the farmers would be paid as per the new policy but the farmers have refused to part with their lands. The farmers want the government to wait for another month as they fear that they would get less compensation as part of the old land acquiring policy. “If the government waits for a month, every farmer will be liable to get two to four times more compensation as per the new bill,” said a farmer. Residents of Rongla and Sidhuwal villages said the new bill would also empower farmers in case a majority of them do not want to part with their land. They could resist the acquisition if they want, they said. According to notices issued by the secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, A Venu Prasad, a total of 958.36 acres of prime land in Seona, Jasowal, Sidhuwal and Rongla villages would be acquired. The notices were put up in these villages a few days ago, creating panic among villagers, many of whom have small land holdings and are not aware of the process. “The government wants to acquire land of farmers to build a modern living residential place. Is this why we voted for the SAD-BJP government?” rued a farmer. “The new land acquisition policy of the Central government will come into force in a month’s time. We will then be free to decide if we want to part with our land even at an increased amount. Why is the government hurrying the process?” he questioned. The agitated farmers have now approached Congress MP from Patiala Preneet Kaur and local MLA Brahm Mohindra, both of whom have promised to back their claim. “I will not let these farmers suffer at the hands of the Akali government, which wants to pay peanuts for the fertile land,” Preneet told The Tribune. Patiala already has three urban estates on the Patiala-Chandigarh road, where hundreds of plots have been sold and many are still lying vacant. A Venu Prasad told The Tribune, “We have just pasted the notices as of now. The entire process of acquiring the land will take some more time and all farmers would be paid and dealt with as per the new policy,” he claimed. The new Act The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2013, will bring in stricter norms and increase landowners' compensation significantly. The developers will need the consent of 80 per cent of people, whose land is to be acquired for private projects and 70 per cent of the total landowners in the case of public-private partnership projects.