Chandrapur (Maha), Sep 10 (PTI) Farmers from Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Nagpur whose lands were acquired for coal mining projects will get an extra benefit to the tune of Rs 1650 crore following a recent amendment in the Land Acquisition Policy, MP Hansraj Ahir said here today. "This is one of my biggest achievements as a peoples representative," he told reporters at a press conference on Monday noon. Ahir stated that his decade-long concerted efforts to get better compensation for farmers who had to surrender their lands to government projects for paltry sums ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre had finally borne fruit, as farmers would now be getting Rs 6 lakh per acre for barren land, Rs 8 lakh per acre for cultivated land and Rs 10 lakh per acre for irrigated land as compensation, here after, as per the new government resolution. "At least 20 projects, 4 in Majri Area, 3 in Wani North Area, 3 in Wani Area, 2 in Chandrapur Area, 3 in Ballarpur Area, 2 in Nagpur Area and 3 in Umred area of Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) under Coal India Limited, in which the farmers are set to reap the benefit due to the amendment," he said. He said that the Maharashtra government had issued a government resolution on May 25. But the clause four in the resolution stipulated that the new rate of compensation would not be applicable to farmers whose lands have been acquired for projects under Land Acquisition Act 1894. ` "The clause would have restricted the benefits to only four to five projects out of 38 projects. I had to take up the issue once again with the state government. An amended resolution was issued, deleting clause four and directing Coal India Limited to acquire land under its Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Policy which brought relief to project-affected people of 20 such projects," he said. PTI COR BA
