FAISALABAD: Farmers on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the district government and the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company alleging that both entities are acquiring their hundreds of acres land at a ‘low’ rate.

Carrying banners inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, the farmers of Chak 136, Chak Jhumrah, assembled outside the office of the deputy commissioner on Monday and raised slogans against the district government and FIEDMC officials.

Talking to reporters, the farmers said, the FIEDMC in alleged connivance with the district administration was hell-bent on ‘grabbing’ 3,300 acres of land to establish an industrial estate.

They said the land had been producing grain worth millions of rupees in a season, however, the officials determined its price at a very low rate which was unjust. They said as many as 7,000 farmers would lose their source of livelihood which would ultimately bring financial problems for them.

On Feb 1, 2018, the district collector [Faisalabad] had issued a notification mentioning that land is likely to be acquired for FIEDMC at public expenses for a public purpose namely establishment of Allama Iqbal Industrial Estate in Chak-134 RB, 136 RB, 144 RB and 152-RB, Jhumrah.

The district collector had sought public objections to the notification within 30 days and farmers said they had submitted their objections, but all in vain.

In a letter, (a copy is available with Dawn) farmers said hundreds of objections were raised by the poor farmers of Chak 144-RB in response to the DC’s notification.

One of the farmers said they had provided seven copies of registered transfer numbers and registries of 2017 of their village which was showing the clear idea of market value of land.

“We had requested the DC to get our land as per the market rate, however, the district administration is hell-bent on grabbing it at a low rate. We managed to obtain a copy of the rates fixed by the DC and it is shocking that the per acre rate is less than per kanal rate in the open market,” he said.

Farmers said they had submitted several requests for the assessed rate list in comparison with open market which was never provided.

The letter said the market value of land is not less than Rs200,000 per marla.

However, the DC fixed Rs40,000 per marla price at Chak 144-RB.

The protesters tried to enter the DC office but the staff closed the gates.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2019