The plot earmarked for the food park in Kahalgaon. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, July 4: The hurdle in setting up food and textile parks at Industrial Growth Centre in Kahalgaon has been cleared following the government’s approval and the farmers’ withdrawal of a roadblock opposing the project.

The Industrial Growth Centre is situated on the land of Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (Biada). The farmers, who have been staging a blockade of the arterial National Highway-80 near Babangama, about 30km east of Bhagalpur, since July 1, lifted the agitation late last evening.

Bhagalpur divisional commissioner Minhaz Alam today said: “Chief secretary Navin Kumar and Biada managing director Dipak Kumar yesterday held a review meeting with officials concerned and asked the district administration not to entertain the farmers’ demands, which are unconstitutional. Since the government has already paid adequate compensation for the land it had acquired, the farmers have no right to claim for fresh compensation.”

He added that the chief secretary asked the district officials to submit the government’s contention to the high court through a lawyer. Some farmers had moved the high court, seeking its intervention for compensation. The farmers had alleged that the compensation they had received from the government was inadequate. “We will pay the farmers additional compensation if the court orders us to do so,” Alam said.

The government had acquired land from the farmers between 1999-2004 and compensated them at the rate of Rs 76,000 to Rs 4 lakh per acre, depending upon the nature of the land. The farmers, however, want Rs 6-12 lakh per acre as fresh compensation.

“We had to call off the agitation because of police pressure. Besides, the leaders spearheading our movement have left the agitation site,” said Wakil Yadav, a villager. Sources said the Kahalgaon unit of the RJD had been mobilising the farmers’ movement following the arrest of five cultivators on July 1.

The tussle between the government and the farmers unwilling to part with their land has upset entrepreneurs interested to set up units in Kahalgaon. Prominent among them are Amrit cement and the owner of Royal Ashoka Medical College and Research Centre. They have withdrawn their respective investments. Star cement and Ambo Export have urged Biada to return their security money for their proposed projects.