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Chhattisgarh: Farmers Protest on Rail Tracks, Demand Fulfilment of Promises by Railways

The farmers whose land ownership were covered by the Forest Rights Act, have not got any compensation or application forms for jobs which they were promised by Railways.
Farmers Protest on Rail Tracks

Image Courtesy: The Wire

As Maharashtra farmers demonstrate an iconic protest in Mumbai under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha, farmers from Bhanupratappur in Chhattisgarh have been on the battleground since March 5, demanding the fulfilment of promises which they had been given by the Indian Railways.

The farmers in Bhanupratappur, Kanker district of North Bastar region, whose land had been acquired for the Dallirajhara-Rowghat-Jagdalpur rail project, have come out on the streets and have been sitting on the railway tracks for more than a week now. The protesting farmers are demanding that the railway should ensure the jobs promised when they had acquired their farming land.

The 235 km-long Dallirajhara-Rowghat-Jagdalpur rail project would connect Jagdalpur with the Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh, once it gets completed. One of the main objectives of this railway line is to “haul iron ore from the proposed Rowghat mines needed for Bhilai Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) located in Bhilai city.” In view of this, the rail line has become “critical” for supporting the iron ore needs of Bhilai Steel Plant at the cost of livelihood of farmers in this area.

Earlier, the Rowghat area has witnessed large-scale deforestation in the name of mining. It is estimated that Rowghat hill ranges have the second highest deposit of iron ore in the country. According to an earlier report, “the Rowghat mines and related infrastructure would destroy approximately 2,030 hectares of forestland across Kanker and Narayanpur districts.”

The farmers whose land ownership were covered by the Forest Rights Act, have not got any compensation or application forms for jobs which they were promised by Railways.

The Forest Rights Act also known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) was passed in 2006 to protect the livelihood of forest dwellers in this region.

“The few farmers with revenue land who have jobs have got meagre amounts in the name of compensation. More than 400 farmers are waiting to get jobs. When we met officials from the Railways, the local administration and BSP on March 8, 2018, in the office of the sub-divisional magistrate, we were told that in 2012 there was a change in the 2011 policy, which now covers only those whose 75-100% land was impacted by the project. But the public wasn’t informed of any such change. We would believe the papers we have in our hands right now, which talk of jobs and compensation for all whose land was affected to any extent. Amendments can keep taking place,” one of the protesters, Chandrashekhar Yadu, was quoted as saying.

The protesters who are very clear about their demands asserted that the affected people should get appointment letters first. After that, they should be sent for technical training, they added.

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