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After the compensation of the land acquired by Nepal Railway in Bardiwas and Bhangaha of Mahottari to plug the broad gauge leak, the affected farmers have continued their hunger strike. Government officials are indifferent to the demands of the affected farmers, who have been on a relay hunger strike at the railway department in Kathmandu since last Thursday.
Regarding the compensation, a discussion of the affected farmers was held with Keshav Kumar Sharma, Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. According to Niraj Adhikari, coordinator of Bardiwas Railway Project Victims Sangharsh Committee, the protest will intensify if the discussion with Secretary Sharma is not concluded. It's been 5 days since we stayed in the railway department. The director general of the department does not sit in the office," said the coordinator officer, "the director general shows the ministry, the ministry shows the secretary, the secretary shows the minister. In this way, we have confused the victimized farmers.
The victimized farmers complained that the railway department had wronged them in the classification of land during the acquisition. According to the coordinator officer, the valuation of the land on the west side of Kholsi-Paini in Bardiwas-14 was done at 1.5 million rupees. "During the distribution of compensation, another Kholsi-Paini, located behind the 6 bigha land west of Kholsi-Paini, was made a base," the official said, "Another Kholsi-Paini of the Railway Department was made a base to kill 30-35 farmers. Which is not acceptable to us.'
The railway department has fixed the compensation for 15 kattha land in Mahottari's Bhangaha-4 too. The affected farmers say that the road on the land acquired by the Railways in Bhangaha has been 'disappeared' by the department. "We were asked to give compensation of only one and a half lakh rupees per square meter of land as there is no road," said the victim farmer Mukesh Yadav, "The ward verified that there is a road on the land and sent it to the district administration office". The district administration also recommended to give 6 lakh rupees per section saying that the road is maintained. However, the department has not paid for two years.'
Similarly, due to the railway department, 14 families of Bardiwas-14 have become homeless without receiving compensation. There are 14 houses in about 18 katthas and the land is unlisted and unnumbered. However, there is a map in the field book . The railway department has decided not to give compensation saying that the land is available. "Malpot and Napi Office have proved that the land number is the same," said the coordinator officer of the Sangharsh Committee, "However, the Railway Department has sent the file to the minister's table to make a decision." But, no decision has been made. He accused the railway department of hiding the problem at the time of classifying the land.
The farmers of Bardiwas and Bhangaha have also obstructed the broad gauge expansion of the railway along with the struggle centered in Kathmandu saying that the compensation is not fair. Due to the obstruction of the affected farmers, the construction of the railway station in Bardiwas has been stopped and the bridge has not been constructed in Rato Khola. According to Madan Dahal, the victimized farmer, the railway department has played a trick on the farmers. The Director General of Railways is waiting for retirement. "You have only done the job of confusing the affected farmers," Dahal said. He should not come to the office. Dahal said that Maoist (centre) leader Girijamani Pokharel met the farmers of Bardiwas on relay fast on Monday afternoon and assured them that they would take steps to solve the problem.
