Bihar: Farmers Stage Dharna Over Forced Land Acquisition Amid Heavy Railway Police Presence

Sheikhpura – On Farmers’ Day, residents of Barbigha took to the streets to protest against the railway’s compulsory land acquisition. The long-standing dispute in Narayanpur village, Barbigha, regarding the Sheikhpura-Daniyama rail line, has been a source of contention for several days. The case is currently under review at the Munger court.

While the court has not yet reached a verdict, the railway authorities have initiated preparations for land acquisition. A significant presence of the Railway Police Force has been deployed in Barbigha. Upon learning of this, distressed farmers initiated a sit-in on the designated land for acquisition on Saturday morning.

Prominent farmers participating in the protest on Farmers’ Day, such as Pramod Kumar and Ranjit Kumar, disclosed that District Magistrate J. Priyadarshini had surveyed the land a few months ago, with the understanding that no action would be taken until a verdict was reached in the Lara Court. However, the railway is now attempting to forcefully acquire the land from the farmers.

In response, the protesting farmers declared that they would not relinquish the land to the railway under any circumstances unless fair compensation for land acquisition is provided. The dispute centers around the compensation offered by the railway before 2014, while farmers are demanding a reevaluation based on current market rates.

Previously, the High Court had issued an order favoring the farmers. Subsequently, to address the land acquisition dispute in Munger, a special court was established, and the case was referred to the Lara Court. The final decision is still pending.