<div>The Supreme Court verdict on Singur helped Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to pull a publicity coup, but the victory seems to have backfired. <br /><br />Citing the apex court ruling, people from other areas who faced similar acquisition have raised demands for compensation and the return of land.<br /><br />While land losers at Burdwan, Siliguri and Purulia raised their voice against forcible land acquisition by the Left in the last few weeks, on Monday, the demands echoed much closer home at Rajarhat New Town. Around 500 farmers joined hands to press for the same demands in the eastern fringes of Kolkata. Land for the township was acquired by the erstwhile Left Front government in 2000, making way for the upcoming satellite township.<br /><br />Claiming to be farmers from the erstwhile agricultural area, they demonstrated outside HIDCO Bhavan, headquarters of the state’s nodal agency for housing infrastructure development, also the administrative authority for the township. Surrounding HIDCO headquarters, they raised slogans and demonstrated with placards, demanding the return of their land. They claimed their land was forcibly acquired and the compensation paid was much below the market rate.<br /><br />They demanded that land lying fallow should be returned to them with compensation for the land where construction has taken place. Protesters claimed that notices for acquisition were put up back, but no public hearing was ever held. They also cited a speech Mamata gave at a public meeting in Rajarhat in November 2010, around six months before she came to power.<br /><br />In her address, she demanded that the government develop 10% of fallow land and return the rest to the farmers. Mohamad Abdullah, a leader of Monday’s agitation, claimed that despite forcible acquisition for New Town, “much of the land has been lying unused”. “A large portion of land was acquired without our consent. If land at Singur can be returned, we can also have ours back,” Abdullah said.<br /></div>
<div>The Supreme Court verdict on Singur helped Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to pull a publicity coup, but the victory seems to have backfired. <br /><br />Citing the apex court ruling, people from other areas who faced similar acquisition have raised demands for compensation and the return of land.<br /><br />While land losers at Burdwan, Siliguri and Purulia raised their voice against forcible land acquisition by the Left in the last few weeks, on Monday, the demands echoed much closer home at Rajarhat New Town. Around 500 farmers joined hands to press for the same demands in the eastern fringes of Kolkata. Land for the township was acquired by the erstwhile Left Front government in 2000, making way for the upcoming satellite township.<br /><br />Claiming to be farmers from the erstwhile agricultural area, they demonstrated outside HIDCO Bhavan, headquarters of the state’s nodal agency for housing infrastructure development, also the administrative authority for the township. Surrounding HIDCO headquarters, they raised slogans and demonstrated with placards, demanding the return of their land. They claimed their land was forcibly acquired and the compensation paid was much below the market rate.<br /><br />They demanded that land lying fallow should be returned to them with compensation for the land where construction has taken place. Protesters claimed that notices for acquisition were put up back, but no public hearing was ever held. They also cited a speech Mamata gave at a public meeting in Rajarhat in November 2010, around six months before she came to power.<br /><br />In her address, she demanded that the government develop 10% of fallow land and return the rest to the farmers. Mohamad Abdullah, a leader of Monday’s agitation, claimed that despite forcible acquisition for New Town, “much of the land has been lying unused”. “A large portion of land was acquired without our consent. If land at Singur can be returned, we can also have ours back,” Abdullah said.<br /></div>
