Gokul barrage compensation: Farmers begin relay fast

Farmers of Damodarpura village who have been demanding compensation for their land inundated due to construction of Gokul barrage today started a relay fast here.
Six men and six woman began the relay hunger strike. "It will continue till the innocent people who have been jailed after the November 1 incident are released and compensation to the farmers is distributed," Samrat Singh, the convener of the hunger strike, said.
Daily a dozen farmers will sit on relay fast, he said.
At least 18 people including five policemen were injured when hundreds of farmers, protesting against non-payment of compensation for their land, held a protest on November 1 during which they clashed with police and torched two buses.

The villagers claimed that owing to faulty design of the barrage, around 1,000 acres of farmland have got submerged in water, but the authorities did not compensate the 1,500 farmers for their loss.
"We have made several representations, but except false assurance we got nothing," one of the villagers said.