As many as nineteen farmers of schedule caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) have become landless after land acquisition by SP Oswal-promoted Mahavir Spinning Mills (now Vardhman Fabrics), the state government on Thursday admitted.
The state government acquired 406 acres of land from 98 farmers of Talpura and Pili Karar village of Budni tehsil, which falls under the constituency of state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Of the 98 farmers, 27 belong to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. A number of farmers have refused to accept the compensation against the land and a case is pending in High Court in this regard, state revenue minister Karan Singh Verma replied during call attention motion to a question of raised by leader of opposition Ajay Singh.
Ajay Singh alleged that officials tampered with documents to acquire land of some farmers of SC/ST community. He also alleged that since the project has come up in the constituency of the chief minister and in revenue minister’s district, therefore, farmers’ interests were ignored and their demands were not met.
The farmers were offered compensation of Rs 40,000-80,000 per acre against the prevailing rates of Rs 5-7 lakh per acre. Ajay Singh demanded immediate action from government to ensure jobs to at least one member of each family which has surrendered land for the company.
“The district collector fudged the records to show a dam reservoir as a pond. A number of farmers have become landless and have not been given any alternate means of employment, though they were promised a job,” Singh said. Verma admitted that only 49 farmers have been given jobs and assured that the rest will be offered jobs soon.
