Farmers close to getting compensation

BHOPAL: Farmers fighting battle against insufficient compensation for Coach Factory land here in Nishatpura are likely to get compensation from Railways as the stay on the petition has been vacated by a single bench of the MP high court (MPHC) recently. Unless a revision petition is filed by Railway in the double bench, farmers will receive the compensation soon.
Additional collector Basant Kurre informed the MPHC recently vacated the stay in the petition filed by railways.The court has also directed the railways to pay the amount.
Besides, farmers' advocate B L Raghuwanshi also agreed that after the stay was quashed, farmers are likely to receive the compensation soon. Also, property of collectorate wouldn't be attached anymore.
Meanwhile, the administration is assessing compensation amount, which was around Rs 7 crore.
The long-standing dispute between 40-odd farmers and administration had erupted in 1983 when 420 acres of farmers' land in Karariya, Bhanpur and Chola areas was allotted to build the Coach Factory.
Rs 18,000 per acre compensation was given for non-irrigated land and Rs 28,000 per acre for irrigated land. However, farmers deemed the compensation as too less and moved the court thereafter.
In 2004, the civil court ordered additional Rs 1,200 per acre for non-irrigated and Rs 1,800 per acre for irrigated land. However, the matter remained in limbo as both the district administration and the railways washed their hands of, holding the other accountable for extra compensation.