Farmers have claimed that two recent deals in Pakho Ke and Chandu Nangal villages suggest that land was sold ranging from Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore per acre

A total of 18 farmers have so far formally submitted objection to the proposal of acquisition of land by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the proposed Kartarpur corridor connecting Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims from India to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.

The NHAI has to acquire total 45 hectares land in Dera Baba Nanak for the corridor roads and an Integrated Check Post (ICP). Total 21.23 hectare land will be required for ICP, which is in addition to land to be acquired for the 4.25 km-long corridor road – for which a notification was published on January 23. Farmers, whose land falls on the road map of corridor, can submit their objections by February 13.

As per the sources, more than the objections, farmers have cited reasons why they should be given higher compensation.

Farmers have claimed that two recent deals in Pakho Ke and Chandu Nangal villages suggest that land was sold ranging from Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore per acre.

It has also been taken on record that farmers were given Rs 80 lakh per acre compensation when their land was acquired for Amritsar-Tarn Taran highway.

Farmers have argued that they should be given higher compensation as agriculture is their only source of income and acquisition of their land will affect them. Most of the farmers in the area cultivate vegetables.

So far all the farmers have raised similar objections drafted by their lawyers with mention of respective acts.

"Eighteen of us submitted objections on Friday. Some more will do so in the coming week. We have almost similar objections. These objections were drafted by lawyers," said Suba Singh, a farmer a whose 3.5 acres of land is required for corridor roads.

"I Haven't seen the objections yet. We will check it and then section 3(D) of Land Acquisition Act will be imposed. The farmers will be given time to raise objections over the compensation," said SDM Dera Baba Nanak Ashok Kumar.