Khattar announces new compensation rate for Manesar landowners

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a new rate of compensation – 2.67 crore per acre as opposed to the earlier rate of ₹92 lakh per acre – for landowners in Kasan, Kukrola and Sehrawan villages in Manesar on Thursday.

The government hopes this will appease landowners in these three villages, who have been protesting for the past year against the proposed acquisition of 1,810 acres for the development of an industrial model township, due to dissatisfaction over the low compensation.

Khattar said in a statement in the state assembly in Chandigarh that under this policy, landowners who choose not to challenge the acquisition of their land and accept the approved amount of compensation will be adequately compensated.

Landowners will be eligible to choose the option of allotting a developed residential or developed industrial plot of 1,000 square metres for every one acre of land acquired, he added.

Khattar said landowners will also be entitled to avail additional basic maintenance in the form of an annuity of 21,000 per acre per annum for 33 years, in addition to the land compensation award. There will be a fixed increase of 750 every year in the annuity of 21,000.

Rohtash Yadav, president, Dakshin Haryana Kissan Khap, which is spearheading the protest against land acquisition, said they heard about the proposal but have got nothing as a written proposal. “We have not received any concrete proposal on this matter. Once a proposal is made by the government, then the landowners will consider it on merit and decide on the future course of action,” he said.