Yamunanagar farmers stall project to instal electricity towers on their land

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, June 25

Farmers assembled in Ror Chhappar village of Yamunanagar district today to oppose the installation of power transmission line towers in their fields.

In the presence of officials of the local administration and police force, they didn’t allow the labour and workers of the contractor to install the transmission line towers in Ror Chhappar village today.

Roorkee (Uttarakhand) unit of the Power Grid Corporation of India is installing this transmission line for Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited.

This 132 KV double circuit transmission line is being installed from Jagadhri Workshop (Yamunanagar) to Talheri village of Saharanpur district (Uttar Pradesh).

According to information, when the farmers came to know that the installation work of a transmission line tower would be started in Ror Chhappar village today, they, led by Gurnam Singh Charuni, national president of Bhartiya Kisan Union, today assembled in the said village.

The labour of the contractor reached the village this morning to start the installation work. From the local administration Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar and Radaur tehsildar Anil Kumar were present on the site.

Local administration officials tried to make the farmers farmers agree, but they didn’t allow starting the installation work of the tower.

Sanju Gundiana, district president of the BKU (Charuni), said the government was offering a very small compensation for their area coming underthe towers.

He further said that the farmers, however, were demanding that the government should acquire their full acre land on which towers would be installed at the prevailing market rate of the agricultural land.

He added that they had held several meetings with officials of the Haryana Government in the past about one year, but they failed to resolve their demand. “Now, Deputy Commissioner Captain Manoj Kumar will hold a meeting with farmers on June 27 in connection with this issue,” said Sanju Gundiana.

Farm leaders Mandeep Ror Chhappar, Sandeep Topra, Karam Singh Mathana, Rakesh Bains, Malkit Singh, Raj Kumar, Harpal Sudhal, Gulab Punia and Joginder Singh were present. Meanwhile, Lalit Kumar, Manager of Power Grid Corporation of India, Roorkee (Uttarakhand), who was present on the spot in Ror Chhappar village, said the installation work of four towers could not be started due to the protest by farmers, who were demanding more compensation.

“Three towers will be installed in Ror Chhappar village and one in Khajuri village, but the installation work could not be started due to opposition by the farmers,” said Lalit Kumar.

Compensation inadequate: Y’nagar villagers

• Not satisfied with the compensation being offered to them
• DC Captain Manoj Kumar to hold meeting with farmers on June 27
• Power Grid Corporation of India installing a transmission line in the area for Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited