Farmers protest for equal land compensation rates from UP govt

The farmers are seeking parity of compensation rates for all farm lands acquired for the expressway from Noida to Agra, the farmers' spokesman Anil Talan said.

For this, members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and other farmers' organisation courted arrest after the protest began at the Tappal police station last evening, he said.

These organisations have already been protesting at the Zikrpur Yamuna Expressway Underpass for the past 70 days.

A prominent leader of the BKU, Rajpal Singh, said Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had promised before the assembly elections that farmers would be given parity in compensation rates along the Yamuna Express Highway.

The farmers want that Yadav clear his party's stand on the issue if the state government is not prepared to fulfil its electoral promises, he said.

Senior police and district officials are holding talks with the protesters to resolve the impasse, SP (Rural) Bali Karan Singh Yadav said.