Supaul,;We grow only wheat and paddy here and they require good space. Who can cultivate on such small patches,” asked Gopal Mahato (50).
A resident of Kataia Mahe Panchayat in Pipra block of Bihar’s Supaul district, Gopal’s land was first acquired for building Supaul-Araria railway line almost three years ago. Of the total 80 kathas he owned, the rail line split 10.5 kathas (7,200 sq ft) into two parts. The government took approximately 2.50 kathas, and left 3 kathas and 5 kathas on either side of the rail line.
Gopal got a compensation of Rs 2.75 lakh (Rs 1.1 lakh per katha), which was way below the actual land price of the area. He later managed to sell 5 kathas to two villagers for Rs 2 lakh per katha.
“Now a road is coming up, just half a km away from the railway line. It will again cut up my 3 kathas. But this time, we will not budge. We need land in exchange for land,” he said.
Gopal is adamant because 40 out of his total 80 kathas are flood prone, and hence unsuitable for cultivation. After losing land to railway acquisition, he has only around 30 kathas (32 kathas is one acre) at his disposal.
From 10 kathas, he used to make around Rs 35,000 per year. With this amount gone, he is struggling to meet the needs of his family of five, including wife, two sons and mother. One of his sons takes up small electrical jobs, while the other is still studying.
A bumpy ride:
The Union Cabinet approved the four-lane NH 327E Greenfield Highway connecting Araria and Parsarma under the Bharatmala Pariyojana in 2017. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) okayed the 105-km roadworks in April last year.
It is expected to reduce the travel time to West Bengal by 80 km and will benefit the people of Araria, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul districts. However, farmers in Gidrahi, Jolhaniya and Thumha villages of Kataia Mahe panchayat have opposed the move. To register their discontentment, they convened a mahapanchayat on May 11 and decided to seek either land in exchange for land or compensation in accordance with the market rate.
Local journalist Vimalendu Singh informed that the villagers of ward no 7 and 8 of Triveniganj Municipal Council in the district are also against the road project.
At present, the revenue and land reforms department is conducting aerial surveys to mark the required land. Once completed, the government will decide the compensation amount. However, farmers maintained that the compensation rate would be at least Rs 80,000 less per katha than the market price.
“After the railway acquisition, about 20 farmers in our area were forced to work as labourers. The line split up their fields. As the leftover pieces were not fit for cultivation, they had no option but to sell them to the owners of adjacent plots,” former sarpanch of Kataia Mahe panchayat Mohammad Jehangir told 101Reporters.
He warned that if the highway project took off, then half of the villagers would have to leave farming. “It is only fair that farmers get a farm for a farm and a house for a house,” he added.
Mohammad Rustum of Jolhaniya lost 20 kathas to the railway project. “I run a paan shop from a rented premise. There was no need to buy rice or wheat when I owned land. Now, at least Rs 40,000 has to be spent every year on that. The compensation I received was enough to buy only 13 kathas. So I deposited it in the bank,” said Rustum, whose family has six members.
