Farmers threaten protest on Radha Soami Dera road

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080128/punjab1.htm#12

Road to Radha Soami Dera
Farmers threaten protest
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 27
The Kisan Sangharsh Committee here today threatened to gherao the office of the SDM, Baba Bakala, on February 8 if the government “forcibly” acquired farmers’ land for 5 km road leading to the Radha Soami dera.

At a press conference, farmers’ leader Satnam Singh Pannu said there was no need to lay the road in question by depriving farmers of their source of livelihood. He said three farmers’ association -the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, the Jamhoori Kissan Sabha and the Kirti Kissan Union - were united in demanding the cancellation of the notification issued in this regard.

Jatinder Singh Chhina said the notification was in contradiction to the pool promise made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He said the Radha Soami dera was already connected through three roads and there was no need to connect it to Mathiala by constructing another road.

The Badal government seems to have come under pressure from the dera and has gone back on its promise to cancel the notification in the interest of farmers. Our opposition is not to the Radha Soami dera, but to the construction of the road, said leaders of the three associations.

The farmers will launch an agitation in case the government goes ahead with the construction of the road, which will affect at least 30 families of farmers in the area, whose land is to be be acquired.

The previous Congress government had issued the notification to appease the dera on February 14, 2005, but could not go ahead with the plan because of resistance from farmers. The present SAD-BJP government was now following in the footsteps of the previous government, alleged the farmers.

Deputy commissioner Pannu said action was being taken for the construction following the notification as per the rule and compensation would be paid to farmers whose land was being acquired.@