Lok Samiti Demands Proper Compensation for Farmers

16 January 2023, Baxar: Lok Samiti, a non-political organization established by legendary freedom fighter & sarvodaya leader Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, has extended its support to the farmers from Banarpur village of Chausa block under Baxar district in Bihar. Recently on 10th January, they have been beaten by police at their houses at midnight.

Mr. Girija Satish, the national president of Lok Samiti condemned high-handedness of police and said that the state government has been ignoring justified demands of the farmers for a long time.

It’s significant that since last three months, the farmers whose land is being acquired by the state government for a thermal power plant are engaged with peaceful demonstration for a better price of their land as they have been offered 12 years old rate. But the government and the construction company never took them seriously. At last when the farmers have locked main gate of the construction site to stop the work, police reacted violently and made raids.

The protesters have alleged that the policemen barged into their houses around 11.30 pm while they were sleeping and thrashed them with batons and boots. Also they complain that the police personnel misbehaved with the womenfolk. The police say that a team went there to arrest the culprits those made violent protest and ransacked public property.

Mr. Girija Satish said we denounce all violent activities but it’s very clear that the issue has been not dealt properly by the government and we demand that –

1. The state government and the company must initiate for a well-mannered negotiation with the farmers.
2. The state government and the company must offer an appropriate compensation to the farmers under Land Acquisition Act 2022.
3. The government should unconditionally withdraw the fake cases against the farmers
4. A judicial inquiry should be conducted into the entire incident and after taking legal action against the guilty policemen involved in the incident; they should be suspended with immediate effect.
5. One member of the each farmer family, whose land is to be taken for plant construction work, should be offered a government job according to qualification.

The government and the company should seriously consider these demands and hold peace talks, he pointed out.