In a rare instance, the Chhatarpur district administration in Madhya Pradesh has clamped Section 144 in an area encompassing about eight villages in the Rajnagar tehsil to facilitate the widening of National Highway 76.
The prohibitory order has been imposed after farmers in the villages, who allegedly did not get due notice or compensation for the acquisition of their land for the road widening, started protesting and preventing the construction work.
The villagers alleged that about a dozen of them have been booked since Section 144 was clamped about 20 days ago. Section 144 prohibits unlawful assembly of four or more people and attracts penal provisions for rioting if the order is violated.
Widening of a 179 km patch of National Highway 76 between Jhansi (in Uttar Pradesh) and Khajuraho (in Madhya Pradesh) into a four-lane road is being done under a Rs 2700 crore project. About 21km patch of the project falls under the Rajnagar circle of Chhatarpur district.
Land has been acquired in eight villages, affecting about 450 farmers. Compensation of about Rs 150 crore was approved for them. The villages include Basari, Turya, Satna, Gunj, Devgarh, Tutka, Khairi, Ghora.
Local farmers' leader Govind Singh said that in Turya village land of about 25 dalit farmers was acquired by the project implementation company and work was started without giving due notice and compensation. When there was protest, Section 144 was imposed and about a dozen villagers were booked, he said.
“There are huge irregularities in giving compensation. Some are receiving compensation according to 2010 land acquisition rates and some others according to 2016 rates, which is upsetting the people,” Singh added. He said that though some land was acquired earlier and some after 2016, as the project work started only in 2017, the compensation should be equal for all.
Babulal Ahirwar, another farmer of village Turya, alleged that half acre of his land was acquired without prior notice and no compensation has been paid so far. “We do not know whom to complain to; if we say anything we will be booked under Section 144,” he lamented.
Villagers have claimed that in Gunj Deogaon village, farmer Kanhaiyyalal Sharma, 60, died of heart attack on November 23 as he was very upset about poor compensation.
Raju Soni of Gunj village said that he has a double story house in the land and it will be razed for four lane road. “I have been paid only Rs 2 lakh compensation. How will I build a new house?” In Gunj village, apart from agriculture land, many houses situate in the land acquired for road construction project.
Prakash Ahirwar of Basari village said that he is being paid only Rs 2 lakh for his one acre agriculture land, which is too meagre and he does not know how he will feed his family in future.
Rajnagar SDM Swapnil Wankhede, while speaking to local media persons, said that Section 144 was imposed for the sake of maintaining law and order and after construction company threatened to stop work due to protest of villagers. He conceded that there is disparity in distribution of compensation as some, whose land were acquired earlier, were paid according to 2010 rules while others according to 2016 rules because of which there is huge difference in compensation amounts paid.
“In this regard I had written a letter to CM, senior officials and even had requested the local MP/MLAs to sort out the issue. However, we are under direction from the CM office and central government to complete the project at the earliest and hence there is no option,” Wankhede said.
