The Congress party has taken strong exception of land acquisition notice for urban estate phase 2 at Mullanpur, issued by SAD-BJP government under the old Land Acquisition Act of 1894 even when the center government has cleared the new Act  under which farmers would get compensation four times of collector rates.

Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu Congress MLA from Mohali in a statement here said that the haste with which land acquisition notification under section 4of the 1894 Act was issued has unmasked the anti-farmer face of SAD-BJP government. He said that the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabjha have already passed the new bill and it would become an Act after President of India signs it. He said that it was matter of few weeks that Land Acquisition Act 2013 would be implemented. He said that SAD-BJP government had played a fraud with the farmers whose land is being acquired for New Chandigarh project.

Mr. Sidhu said that under the new Act the land of farmers couldn’t be acquired unless 80 percent of the land owners agree for it and they have to get rate at four times the collector rates of land in that area. They will also get displacement allowance equal to value of land. He said that under the old Act farmers would get only Rs.1.50 crore per acre where as under the provisions of new Act the compensation would be as much as Rs.6.40 crore per acre. He said that 335 acre land would be acquired for the project.

Mr. Sidhu said that Chief Minister Mr.Parkash Singh Badal and his son Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal were biggest enemies of farmers. He said that they could have waited for more one or two weeks before issuing notification when there was no urgency in the matter.

Mr. Sidhu said that the Congress party would make people aware of their rights under the new act and the sinister designs of SAD-BJP government. He said that Congress would protest against the government decision if notification is not withdrawn immediately.