Gujarat Govt Hikes Compensation To Farmers For Land Used For Power Transmission Lines Towers

The Gujarat government has enhanced the compensation to farmers for use of their land for electricity transmission lines and towers, with payments now calculated at twice the prevailing market value of the land, ensuring fair and market-linked payout.Farmers have been protesting in parts of the state against the old policy of installing electricity transmission lines and poles on farmland. Until now, compensation for electricity poles and transmission lines passing through agricultural land was paid at 200 per cent of the jantri value. Responding to long-standing representations from farmer organisations, the state government has decided that compensation will now be calculated at twice the prevailing market value of the land instead of the jantri rate, stated an official release on Friday.Notably, the jantri rate lists the unit pricing of land and property determined by the Gujarat government.The government has also increased compensation for land occupied by power transmission towers, said the release. Earlier, compensation was calculated only on the actual base area of the tower. Under the revised policy, the tower base area will include an additional one metre on all four sides, thereby increasing the compensable area and providing higher compensation to landowners, it explained.In yet another relief for farmers, the government has abolished the earlier staggered payment system under which compensation was paid in three instalments - 40 per cent during foundation work, 40 per cent during tower installation and the remaining 20 per cent after stringing of transmission lines.Under the new policy, 100 per cent of the compensation will be paid upfront before the work commences, it said. To ensure transparent and fair determination of land values, the state government will constitute a Market Rate Committee (MRC) to assess the prevailing market value of land. The committee will include the district collector, representatives of affected landowners, an authorised market valuer nominated by farmers, and representatives of the transmission service provider, the release said.For compensation under the Right of Way (RoW) corridor of transmission lines, payments will be linked to the market value determined by the MRC, it emphasised.Farmers in rural areas will receive compensation equivalent to 30 per cent of the market value, those in municipal council areas 45 per cent, and those in municipal corporation limits 60 per cent of the assessed market value, according to the release.The government has extended the benefits of the revised policy to farmers whose compensation was determined as per the earlier rates, but whose transmission line projects are still under execution. Such farmers will be eligible to receive the benefits of the new compensation policy, it added.