PHAGWARA: A delegation of farmers from Bhullarai village, under the leadership of village Sarpanch Rajat Bhanot Raju, met Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal today to express their strong opposition to the proposed land acquisition for a new urban estate project in the area.
The delegation submitted a memorandum demanding that the plan to acquire approximately 200 acres of farmland in Bhullarai under the New Urban Estate Project be cancelled. Farmers expressed concerns that the project would result in the loss of nearly all agricultural land in the village, severely impacting the livelihoods of residents who are primarily dependent on farming.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sarpanch Rajat Bhanot emphasized that agriculture is the ancestral occupation of most villagers and that they lack experience in any other profession. “If our lands are taken, we will have no means of survival, ” he said.
The memorandum also highlighted the villagers’ environmental concerns, stating that the urbanization of rural areas like Bhullarai would not only disrupt the local agrarian economy but also have a detrimental impact on the environment. The proposed project, they warned, would lead to the felling of thousands of trees, degrading air quality and disturbing the ecological balance of the region.
It was also noted that a similar memorandum had been submitted to the SDM of Phagwara last month, reflecting the ongoing resistance to the project among local residents.