As many as eight farmers were injured after clashing with the police over land acquisition in Punjab’s Gurdaspur. The unrest erupted after a police team arrived in Village Nangoljhor to take control of the land acquired for the Katra-Delhi Expressway. The farmers alleged that the administration attempted to seize their land without prior notice and offered inadequate compensation.
The farmer leaders stated that the government wants to take control of the land passing through Shri Har Gobindpur Sahib, but the farmers do not want to give it up. This led to a clash between the farmers and the police administration. Farmers also shouted slogans against the government and the Punjab Police.
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The National Highways Authority of India cancelled the tender for a 30-km section of the Amritsar spur of the Delhi–Katra Expressway after failing to acquire land amid protest by farmers. However, there are several other sections facing similar hurdles, as landowners are demanding higher compensation.
According to a letter sent by the NHAI this year, work on portions of 15 out of 37 projects in Punjab is currently stalled. The NHAI informed the state government that, out of 37 ongoing projects spanning 1,344 km in Punjab, with a combined cost exceeding Rs 50,000 crore, it has been unable to acquire land for a total of 103 km.
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Earlier, on March 5, clashes took place between farmers and the police over a protest in Chandigarh. The farmers claimed that the protest was planned for a week starting from March 5, and farmers from all over Punjab were supposed to reach Chandigarh. However, before this could happen, the police started detaining farmer leaders and blocking the farmers' groups on their way. Despite this, many farmers held protests on the roads. Prior to this, the Punjab government had stated that the protest was not permitted.