Land losers mark a plot with a bamboo pole in Andal on Wednesday. (Gour Sharma)

Andal (Burdwan), May 4: Over 450 unwilling farmers whose land has been taken for the airport city project in Burdwan’s Andal have marked their plots with bamboo poles and are guarding them round the clock demanding more compensation.

The land losers, sharecroppers and farm labourers, who live in five mouzas — Tamla, Bhadur, Andal, Dhupchururia and Dakshinkhanda — have alleged that the CPM did not discuss with them before fixing the compensation package.

The land losers, who had given 500 acres, have refused to accept their cheques. “The government did not even bother to speak to us. The CPM leaders sat in air-conditioned rooms and fixed the compensation package following discussions with only the project promoters and the district administration,” said Manoj Roy, whose four-acre plot was acquired for the Aerotropolis project.

“Neither the government nor the promoters cared to consult us. We won’t allow work on the land we had to part with for the project. Nor shall we vote for the CPM this time,” Roy, 55, added.

He said that in 2006, the Damodar Valley Corporation had paid land losers between Rs 3.64 lakh and Rs 11.47 lakh per acre for the 500 acres acquired for a power plant in Andal. “But those of us who gave land for the Aerotropolis project were paid only between Rs 1,000 and Rs 11.24 lakh per acre in spite of the fact that land valuation has gone up three to four times in the past four years. We want more compensation,” Roy said.

While the sharecroppers have demanded 50 per cent of the land value, the farm labourers want 500 days’ wages, double the amount that the government has decided to pay. A district official said the process of identifying “genuine” sharecroppers and farm labourers was on.

The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) has acquired 1,820 acres of the 2,300 acres required for the project. The acquired land has been handed over to the developer, the Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL). The BAPL is carrying out fencing and levelling work at the project site. No work, however, is being done on the 500 acres where the agitation is going on.

The 450 land losers, who have the backing of the Trinamul Congress, the Congress and the SUCI, have organised themselves under the Krishak Khetmajur Sangram Committee and are demanding more compensation under its banner. The committee has written to governor M.K. Narayanan, Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee and land and land reforms minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah about its grievances.

“During a rally in neighbouring Jamuria before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Mamata had promised she would not allow the government to acquire our land unless we are paid proper compensation. We hope to get justice if she becomes chief minister,” said Madan Ghosh, whose two-acre plot had been acquired for the project. “She had fought for the farmers’ rights in Singur and Nandigram. I hope she will do the same in Andal,” he added.

Ashok Ganguly, 70, a member of the protest committee, said: “We won’t accept the compensation package the government is offering us. The CPM did not help us get fair price for our land. The party will have to pay the price in the polls.” Andal goes to the polls on Saturday.

The land losers alleged that CPM cadres were “regularly threatening” them in an attempt to break the agitation. “But they will be rendered toothless after the polls. We won’t vote the CPM back here,” said Sushil Ghosh, 40.

Madan Bauri, the local CPM MLA, accused Trinamul of instigating the villagers. “I was present at the all-party meetings held with the administration and the BAPL. I have spoken with the land losers separately. The villagers are not against giving up their land but Trinamul is instigating them. Once completed, the project will help improve the socio-economic condition of the people of the region,” Bauri said.

District magistrate .S. Meena declined comment because “the elections are on and I am representing the Election Commission”.