Farmers reject land compensation

YAMUNANAGAR: Alleging discrimination in land compensation, Haryana farmers allege they are being offered less by the Gas Authorities of India Limited (GAIL) as compared to their peers in Uttar Pradesh. Farmers of 50 villages here have refused to accept the compensation offered for land acquired for laying down the gas pipeline.
With the GAIL officials failing to persuade the farmers till Wednesday, the district administration has stepped in and asked them to produce documents to sort out the relief issue.
Hundreds of farmers along with the leaders of Bhartiya Kisan Union, who had meeting with the GAIL officials, demanded complete transparency in the compensation amount, saying they were being paid Rs 98 per square meter, while in farmers were offered Rs 450 per square meter by GAIL. Besides, UP farmers were getting Rs 700 for each axed tree, while those in Haryana got just Rs 100. tnn