Kadyan Khap International endorsed V.M. Singh as well...
To,
The Chief Minister of UP,
Lucknow.

Reg: Atrocities on the farmers in Village Bhatta Parsol;

Measures to be taken to mitigate the hardships of the farmers whose lands are acquired by the State.

Madam Chief Minister,

While I condemn the deaths of the farmers and police personal who lost their lives in the agitation at village Bhatta parsol in Greater Noida, I wish to convey my strong protest against the way the State Government is conducting itself while dealing with the farmers of the State.
Your Government is totally insensitive towards the plight of the farmers as it has been unable to provide Minimum Support Price for either Wheat or paddy. Even sugarcane has been purchased by the mills through the intervention of the State for about Rs 200/ per quintal as against Rs 300/ that was received by the farmers in the previous year.
The farmers who are not literate enough to get jobs are now faced with further crisis as their lands are acquired by the State under the garb of public policy. The State acts as a broker for the MNCs and public/private limited companies who purchase land from the Govt at higher rates and eventually make unimaginable gains.
All this while the farmers are only paid part compensation and the balance is to be paid after declaration of the award. The award takes years at times and the farmers neither have the land nor compensation.
Invariably the farmers are shocked by the award passed by the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO), the amount given to the farmer is pittance as compared to the gains that the State or the private companies, like JP group, Omex, etc are making.
The farmers make representations over representations, unfortunately neither the District Administration nor the State are moved by the farmers’ plight. Finally the farmers sit on agitation, even this has no effect and the only time the Govt. moves is when the agitation goes out of hand. Some leaders/ persons incite the frustrated farmers to take law in their own hands.
In the current case of Village Bhatta Parsol the farmers were drawing the attention of the State for a few months and when the State did not respond, the situation came to this unfortunate stage that precious lives are lost. Whether it is the policemen or the farmers, they are our brothers. These lives could have been saved by timely intervention.
Madam, before you came to power in 2007, in the year 2005-06 you criticized the SP-RLD Govt for giving Rs 150/ per sq yd for the Reliance project at Village Bacchera in Dadari Tehsil and Rs 350/ for Noida and supported the farmers demand for higher compensation.
After you came to power, it has become evident from your Govt’s action that compensation will only be enhanced once the farmers loose/sacrifice their lives.
Once the Noida farmers compensation was enhanced to Rs 860 per sq yd, the farmers of Tappal wanted the same rates, the rate was enhanced from Rs 430 to Rs 560/ after a few farmers died in the agitation. After this the Agra farmers took to agitation and the compensation rates were increased. Thereafter the farmers of Karchana in Allahabad who were agitating for a long time were promised higher compensation after farmers died in a rail agitation.
Now, the farmers of village Bhatta parsol had to make the same sacrifice.
Madam, may I tell you in advance that farmers of many other area wanting to adopt the same path. These farmers are the ones who whose lands have been acquired in (i) Kharua in Pilibhit (ii) Bareilly bye pass (iii) Joya in Amroha for making a jail (iv) Joyee in Amroha for police lines (v) Madhya Ganga Nahar from Bijnore, JP Nagar, Muradabad etc., The farmers who are close to me or are members of my Sangathan have been wanting to follow the same pattern but I have been dissuading them. But I wonder for how long.
Madam, I wish both the Central and the State Govt work towards the path to mitigate the hardships of the farmers and not blame one another. There can be no two ways that the LA Act must be amended but again the question is whether passing of the amendment of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 by the Parliament will help the cause of the agitating farmers of the Yamuna Expressway or Taj Expressway or Ganga Express way or the Madhya ganga nehar or elsewhere. The answer is in the negative. What will be the scope of the amendment? They certainly will not cover the Notifications that have been issued by the State Govt. Then why is politics being played by the political parties at the cost of the farmers by indulging in blame game between the Centre and the State, more so when the LA Act come under the ambit of List III and the State Govt can undertake State amendments to mitigate the hardships of the farmers.
Madam, the problem is not with the L.A. Act but is with the intention of the State Governments. The same act is being applied in Delhi and Haryana without any problem. In fact even in UP there is no problem with compensations related to acquisitions by the State Development authorities. The problem only comes with the acquisition for private players who are becoming richer and richer at the expense of the poor farmer who has struggled all his life.
Madam, vide your Govt’s Notification dated 3.9.2010, while making changes in the Relief & Rehablitation policy, it was stated that the minimum rate payable for agricultural land in case of acquisition would be Rs about 20 lacs per acre and annuity of Rs 2.4 lac per acre or 20, 000/ per year per acre would be given. On enquiry it is found out that no order were passed regarding the rates of Rs 20 lacs (which was published in the newspapers) and the GO was issued with regards to the annuity.
Like in the case of compensation, the annuity has been given to those who have agitated for higher compensation and where farmers have lost their lives. This is a dangerous precedent.
Madam Chief Minister, while the leaders would like this to become a major issue running upto the elections, I wish to request you to intervene to end the crisis in village Bhatta parsol and negotiate with the farmers and act with a large heart as you are the Chief Minister who and who alone being at the helm of affairs can mitigate their hardships. Precious lives whether those of the farmers and the policemen must be saved.
I would further request you to call for an all party meeting as well as leaders of the farming organizations and decide the issue of compensation and annuity once and for all.
I sincerely believe that this would be in the larger interest of the State and the society.

Regards,

VM Singh.

Note: The visuals on various channels on 5/8/2011 showed the policemen with automatic weapons. This is a gross violation of basic human rights as the policemen on duty should have carried single shot weapons.