Ahead of the commencement of the award process for landowners of 3,864 acres spread across eight villages for the Aerotropolis project in Mohali, police on Monday morning took several farmer union leaders and landowners into preventive custody.
Farmer unions and landowners from the affected villages had called for a boycott of the formal administrative process, under which the competent authority assesses compensation and rehabilitation benefits for landowners. They had also announced plans to stage a protest outside the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) office in Sector 62.
Police conducted early-morning raids and detained several farmer leaders from their homes. BKU (Lakhowal) leader Nachattar Singh Baidwan was detained and taken to the Mataur police station, while farmer leader Sewa Singh Bakarpur was taken to the Phase 8 police station.
The residences of SKM leader Paramdeep Singh Baidwan and farmer leader Makhan Singh Gigemajra were also raided, but both reportedly evaded detention.
Despite the police action, farmer leaders said their protest would continue. They planned to hold a meeting at Gurdwara Amb Sahib at 9 am before marching to the GMADA office and staging a sit-in.
The land is being acquired in Kurdi, Badhi, Kishanpura, Chhat, Siau, Mattran, Patton and Bakarpur villages for Aerotropolis Blocks E, F, G, H, I and J. Landowners have been opposing the acquisition for a long time, alleging concerns over the expansion of the Aerotropolis project.
Leaders from both the Congress and the BJP have also questioned the urgency of the acquisition, arguing that development on previously acquired land remains incomplete.
Bharatiya Janata Party district president Sanjeev Vashisht said nearly 50 per cent of the land proposed for acquisition was already in the possession of non-farmers, including businessmen and government officials. He urged the government to clarify, with complete transparency, who would ultimately benefit from the acquisition and what its purpose was.
Vashisht further questioned the rationale behind acquiring additional land when earlier acquired parcels had yet to be developed or utilised, asking whether the new acquisition was intended to be mortgaged to raise loans.