Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor project: Farmers fume as cheques for land compensation bounce
Farmers are agitated in Patiala after compensation cheques issued by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) for land acquired under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) project bounced multiple times.
The AKIC is a major development initiative, with a significant portion of it passing through Punjab. Specifically, an integrated manufacturing cluster (IMC) is being developed in Rajpura-Patiala, as part of the AKIC. This IMC aims to attract investment and create jobs in sectors like e-mobility, food processing, and more.
The cheques, issued in March as a payment for nearly 61 acres of land acquired across five villages, have now bounced three times, leaving the affected farmers angry and financially distressed. Despite PUDA having already taken possession of the land, compensation remains elusive.
Randhir Singh, a farmer from Pabra village, voiced his frustration: 'The cheque given to me by PUDA has bounced three times. I even tried to deposit it again yesterday — it was rejected once more. This is nothing short of harassment. First, they took our land, and now they refuse to pay us.' He added that his attempts to contact officials have been ignored.
Labh Singh, another aggrieved farmer, echoed the similar sentiment: 'My cheque bounced too. The government has our land. What are we supposed to do now? Where do we go?'
Farmer leader Gurdhiyan Singh from BKU (Ekta Bhateri Kalan) condemned the situation, calling it 'outright harassment'.
'We will meet the Patiala deputy commissioner. The government must act quickly to disburse the compensation and take strict action against those responsible,' he said.
When contacted, PUDA land acquisition collector Sanjeev Kumar attributed the issue to a 'technical glitch at the bank's end'.
'There is no shortage of funds. The issue is being looked into and will be resolved soon,' he said.
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