Lok adalat orders relief for farmers

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 22

Giving relief to landowners, the Bench of the national lok adalat at Mohali issued directions to GMADA to pay increased rates (around Rs 18 crore) in lieu of their land, which was acquired by it at various places for development projects.

The court asked GMADA to pay the amount to the farmers within a week. 

Several farmers had approached the court seeking an increase in the rates for their land, acquired by GMADA from time to time. 

On Sunday, the lok adalat ordered GMADA to release Rs 5 crore to compensate farmers of Chaumajra village, whose land was acquired for the IT City project. GMADA had announced an award of Rs 1.36 crore per acre following which several farmers, including Dalwinder Singh, Buta Singh and Rajinder Singh, had approached the District Courts, which increased the land rate to Rs 3.03 crore per acre. 

The lok adalat on Sunday also gave relief to Ballomajra residents Piara Singh and Daljit Singh, whose land rate was increased from Rs 1.35 crore to Rs 4.10 crore by the District Courts, by directing GMADA to release Rs 3 crore for them. Their land was acquired by GMADA to construct Airport Road. 

In another similar case, the lok adalat gave relief to Raipur Khurd farmers, including Sarbjit Singh, Bhag Singh and Jaspal Singh, whose land was acquired to develop Sector 82 here. The lok adalat directed GMADA to pay them a compensation of around Rs 6.50 crore. 

In another such case, GMADA has been ordered to pay a compensation of Rs 80 lakh to farmers, including Rajinder Singh, Amrik Singh and Manjit Kaur, whose land was acquired to construct the Mullanpur-Garibdas-Chandigarh road and Rs 15 lakh to some farmers of Chilla village and Sohana, whose properties were acquired to develop Sector 76 to 80 here.