Punjab Government may soon come up with a policy to compensate the farmers for their land being used for installing towers by the State transmission utility.

Announcing this on the floor of the House on the first day of the Budget session, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday made it clear that the Government would consider compensation only for installation of towers on farmers’ land by the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), but not for the land falling under the transmission cables.

“It is not possible to give compensation to farmers for their land falling under the transmission lines since a substantial chunk of 105 acres of agriculture land across the State is under the wires,” said the Chief Minister while responding to the calling attention notice raised by Aam Aadmi Party’s Talwandi Sabo MLA Prof Baljinder Kaur and AAP MLA Jai Krishan Singh Rori. The two AAP MLAs has drew the Chief Minister’s attention towards the installation of electricity poles on the farmers’ land from Balanwali Thermal Plant to Talwandi Sabo refinery by PSTCL.

Capt Amarinder informed the House that the land under the towers in Bathinda district had not been acquired as there was no restriction on agricultural activity in land located under the towers and transmission lines, and such land would not hence be acquired.The farmers were being compensated for damage of crops according to the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, he added.

The Chief Minister informed the House that during stubbing of 23 towers, a compensation of Rs 6,38,087 had been paid to the farmers. Welcoming the decision, Baljinder Kaur requested the Chief Minister to install the towers with prior notice to this effect to the farmers.

She had earlier pointed out that while the farmers were not being compensated, the land rate had also taken dive in the market. “There is a lot of anger among the local farmers,” she said while demanding compensation of Rs 15 lakh per acre of land acquired by the Government.