Uttar Pradesh shunts officials after police firing

LUCKNOW - The Uttar Pradesh government late Sunday gave marching orders to district magistrates and police chiefs of the state’s Aligarh and Mathura districts, a day after police firing on farmers, protesting inadequate compensation against acquisition of land, killed two people.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati ordered a judicial inquiry into the firing on protesting farmers in an area bordering the two districts where land had been acquired for the 165-km long Yamuna expressway between Noida and Agra.

Making the announcement at a press conference, state Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said: “The chief minister has also declared a compensation of Rs.5 lakh to each of the two people killed in the firing.”

As for the dispute over the claim staked by the protesters, who were demanding payment towards their acquired land at the same rate as admissible in Noida and Greater Noida, the government has decided to constitute a review committee headed by the divisional commissioner to examine the demand.

“While a committee headed by the commissioner will take a fresh look at the farmers’ demand, I would like to point out that the existing rate was finalised in consultation with them only. In fact, nearly half the farmers had already taken their money and gone, but the remaining ones had chosen to make it an issue on account of instigation by certain opposition parties,” Singh alleged.