LAHORE – Hundreds of land owners at the Bhatta Chowk on Saturday protested against the government-proposed compensation money for land evacuation, terming it low. The protestors piled up at the chowk, held up placards and banners and chanted slogans to rationalize the land price. The protestors have tea stalls, eateries, hotels and plazas at stake as the government has decided for Bhatta Chowk widening.
They warned the government of hunger strike and sit-ins if the government tried to get the land vacated by force. Police contingents were called to clamp down the demonstrations. The aggrieved mob continued protesting for some hours and later dispersed peacefully; no untoward incident was reported.
PRICE RATIONALIZATION: Taking to Pakistan Today, a hotel owner, Akram Ali said that a meeting was held at Bagh-e-Rehmat between the land owners and the government’s representatives including collectors and patwaries on February 15. The government officials announced to give Rs 0.8 million per marla as compensation but land owners termed the price unacceptable and demanded for Rs 1.5 million per marla, he said. He said all the land owners were unanimous on the stance that because the government gave Rs 1.5 million per marla to Mughalpura land owners during the construction of Shalimar Interchange, they also deserved a similar treatment.
Mukhtar Rehman, another shop owner, said that government will announce the awards for compensation money on Monday, February 21, and if the awards could not conform to their demands, nobody will enter into a deal with government. Javaid Butt, a tea stall owner, said that people were not against Bhatta Chowk expansion plan but land acquisition had to be revised.
‘ENCROACHERS CREATE FUSS’: Sources in Lahore Cantonment Board said that encroachers were the big issue in the Bhatta Chowk widening plan. The illegal occupants, sources said, tried to obstruct the deal and created uproar to protect their unlawful possessions. These are around 250 people from Defence picket at Ghazi road to Darulkhalafa, who had illegally occupied 10 to 15 feet of road and these encroachers will not be compensated at all, they said. The people who will have legal documents for the ownership of land will be paid as per DC rate in the area.
PREVIOUSLY: Bhatt Chowk expansion plan was approved last month by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided. Punjab government had also released Rs 1.15 billion regarding compensation money and issued the notices to more than 200 shops, hotels and plazas running their business at Bhatta Chowk positioned at Ghazi road running through DHA and Baidian Road leading to RA Bazaar in Cantonment.
According to the notice, under major Infrastructure Development in budget of 2010-11, government needs to acquire land for widening/improvement of Ghazi Road from Package – 11 of Lahore Ring Road Project to Rehman Villas, including improvement of Bhatta Chowk. The notice also said that the notices were given to property owners under Act 9, 1894.
BHATTA CHOWK DEAL – ‘The compensation is too low’
