Calcutta, Aug 30: Around 500 Trinamul Congress supporters today watched farmers collect compensation for their land without a murmur of protest.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee daydreaming? No, Baruipur’s farmers, who are only too willing to give away their single-crop plots for a “good price”, ensured there was no note of dissent.

This was in stark contrast to Singur and Nandigram, where land acquisition has faced stiff opposition from the word go.

A group of 172 farmers queued up at the Baruipur block development office, about 30km from here, to take their cheques in return for around 30 acres. The government has acquired the land to set up the South-24 Parganas headquarters.

The Trinamul supporters did not object to the cheque distribution, but urged the government representatives to check the photo-identity cards of the claimants to ensure “genuine’’ farmers were getting compensation.

“Since the owners had willingly given away their land, we did not protest. But we are trying to find out whether bargadars (share-croppers) were involved in cultivation of these plots. If so, there would be strong opposition from our side,” Trinamul leader and Baruipur municipality chairman Shakti Roy Chowdhury said.

District officials said the land acquisition had been smooth because the government had given rates far higher than those offered by private players.

“We are very happy to part with our land as we are getting Rs 5.5 lakh per acre from the government, whereas private promoters were offering much less,” said an elderly Anil Mondal, who has handed over 1.2 acres. “We don’t get much out of our land, so this deal is good for us.”

About 500 acres across five mouzas will be acquired in Baruipur for the headquarters and a township — the latter will be constructed by the Indonesia-based Salim Group.

“About Rs 1.5 crore has been disbursed. The next date for cheque payment is September 3. Rehabilitation of the affected people is also on our agenda,” additional district magistrate (land reforms) Baidyanath Mondal said.