Fourlane samiti holds protest, demand relief

Tribune News Service

Mandi, February 17

The Fourlane Sangharsh Samiti Mandi-Kullu staged a protest against the state government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Pandoh here today. They were demanding compensation against land according to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

Affected farmers gathered in front of the office of the Land Acquisition Officer and raised slogans against the state government and the NHAI.

They raised the issue of awards of land for a fourlane project between Nagchala and Manali. They said despite several meetings with the NHAI and the state government in the past, there was no concrete decision taken so far to sort out their issue.

Fourlane Sangharsh Samiti chairperson Brig Khushal Thakur (retd) said that “we have given an ultimatum to the authorities concerned to provide a fair compensation as described under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, to protect the rights of farmers as well as to rehabilitate them.”

“A delegation of the samiti will meet the Chief Minister during his visit to Mandi next week to apprise him of the issue,” he said.

The samiti was accusing the NHAI and the state government of their indifferent attitude towards the issue of farmers.