The land acquisition policy of the Haryana government is under scanner of the state office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to examine the irregularities in the acquisition of agricultural land and compensation paid to the farmers.
The state government’s land acquisition policy has been witnessing farmers’ protests at various places regarding anomalies in compensation and forceful acquisition.
Talking to reporters, Principal Accountant General, Haryana, Sushma V Dabak said the issue was under examination and refused to divulge the details.
Although the state government claims to have distributed Rs 9,834.73 crore from March 2005 to March 2010 to the farmers for the land acquired by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (16,362 acres), Haryana State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation (19,868 acres), Public Works Department Building and Roads (386 acres) and irrigation department (6,618 acres).
The average compensation, according to state government officials comes to Rs 22.74 lakh per acre but there are sundry complaints by farmers.
Besides, Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja and the State Finance Minister Ajay Singh Yadav (both from Congress) have been raising the issue in the media about amendments in the land acquisition policy to make it more farmer-friendly.
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Since most of the land acquired in Haryana falls under the national capital region, the Opposition leaders accused the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for facilitating land to companies at a price far lower than the market price. Hooda, however, had been denying the accusations.
The audit report being prepared by the state CAG office may help in streamlining the land acquisition, as the cost of land absorbs the largest chunk of investment of any project.