GURDASPUR: Punjab has made an offer of Rs 17 lakh per acre to the Dera Baba Nanak farmers whose land will be acquired for construction of the Kartarpur corridor along with 100% solatium and compensation for their crop, standing structure or trees, with the total package amounting to Rs 34-35 lakh per acre.A total of 111 acres of land, owned by nearly 400 farmers, will be acquired for the project, Dera Baba Nanak sub-divisional magistrate Gursimran Singh told TOI on Monday. The land owners were initially demanding up to Rs 80 lakh per acre and a government job for one member of each family as part of compensation package.Land in three villages —Chandu Nangal, Jaurian Khurd and Pakhoke Tahli Sahib — and in Dera Baba Nanak town will be acquired for the widening and four-laning of 4.25 kilometres of road from Dera Baba Nanak up to the international border and the immigration centre.The Union ministry of road transport and highways in its notification issued on January 14 had authorised the Dera Baba Nanak sub-divisional magistrate as the competent authority for the land acquisition, maintenance and operation of the newly-proposed highway.The district administration passed the award (court notice) about the land price under Section 3 (G) of National Highways Act, 1956.Earlier, the administration had issued a notification under Section 3 (D) of National Highways Act, 1956 under which the land required for the Indian side of corridor was demarcated.The farmers, after making much hullabaloo over “fair” price, have agreed to receive around Rs 35 lakh per acre and give possession of the land to the Gurdaspur district administration.Despite accepting the government offer, the farmers have announced their decision to move court to get “justice” and “fair and adequate” price and compensation.Narinder Singh, one of the farmers whose land will be acquired for the corridor, said: “The price and compensation is not adequate but we have agreed to accept it and will give possession of our land to the district authorities. However, we will also move the court against low price.”The district administration will start acquiring land in days.“This week we will begin distributing cheques and they (farmers) have given their consent to give possession of their land to us so we could begin the construction work in full swing,” SDM Gursimran Singh said.India had announced its decision to complete the first phase of construction work for the Kartarpur corridor by September 2019 so that the group of pilgrims to Pakistan could leave for Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan to celebrate the 550 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November.The Pakistan government claims to have completed 50% of the work on its side of the corridor.An Indian delegation, comprising of officials from ministry of external affairs and ministry of home affairs, will go to Wagah (Pakistan) to hold a meeting with their counterparts to discuss various modalities of the corridor on April 2.A meeting of technical experts of the two nations was held at Zero Line, Dera Baba Nanak, on March 19 for alignment of the corridor and to discuss other technical issues.

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