Capt. Amarinder Singh promises compensation to farmers for land used by PSTCL to install towers

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday assured the State Assembly that his government would soon come out with a policy to consider compensation to farmers for agriculture land being used for installation of towers by the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL).

However, the Chief Minister ruled out the possibility of giving compensation to farmers for their land falling under the transmission lines, since a substantial chunk of 105 acres of agriculture land across the state was under the transmission lines.

Replying to a notice raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs from Talwandi Sabo Prof. Baljinder Kaur and Jai Krishan Singh Rori towards the installation of electricity poles on farmers' land by PSTCL, the Chief Minister said that farmers were being compensated for damage of crops according to the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

The Chief Minister assured that the government would formulate a policy to compensate farmers for their land occupied by power poles, saying that the government could formulate a policy on compensation for the such but it could not compensate for the land covered by the wires.

The Chief Minister also informed the House that during stubbing of 23 towers, a compensation of Rs. 6,38,087 had been paid to the farmers.

AAP leaders pointed out that while the farmers were not being compensated, the land rate had also taken dive in the market.

They also said there was a lot of anger among the local farmers and demanded compensation of Rs 15 lakh per acre of land acquired by the government.