The farmers protest against agricultural land leasing policy in Mandi Bahauddin

Mandi Bahauddin: About fifty farmers’ delegation including dozens of lawyers protested in front of DCO office the other day against leasing out their agricultural land for excavating sand under Mine and Mineral Act.

They said they are already hard pressed due to government anti farmer policies and now the government was depriving them of earning their livelihood through cultivation by giving their land on lease without even informing them.

They said a stretch of land along left bank of River Jhelum from Head Rasul to Malakwal measuring 18348 Acres is their property and whole land is under cultivation. They said the contractors in connivance of the Mine and Mineral Department Punjab officials and District Government lease out their land without their consent.

The contractor after taking lease sublet rights to excavate sand from their land to several persons who forcibly excavate sand from their fields leaving quarry’s  up to twenty feet deep behind. The contractors also carve out routes in their fields for tractor trolleys and when resisted they get criminal case registered with police against them. They said this is grass injustice and the government was not taking any notice of it. After sometime the Additional Collector Afzaal Warraich allowed some participants of the protesters in his office where the protesters argued their case and requested for postponement of holding auction.

The ADC did not accommodate their demand and asked the protestors to approach proper forum for relief. He as chairman auction committee conducted the auction and recommended the highest bidder for grant of sand excavation contract for Rs 10.14 millions.