Amritsar, July 14 (Ozi news desk): Situated in close proximity to Pakistan, within a range of 0-100 yards, farmers residing near the International Border fence are encountering challenges in receiving the compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre, which is designated as ‘inconvenience compensation’, due to the lack of attention from officials.
The compensation amount is divided equally between the Centre and the state government, with the funds being disbursed annually. The Centre only releases the funds for the following year once they have received the utilisation certificate (UC) from the state government for the previously allocated amount.
The assessment of compensation is based on the border area falling within the jurisdiction of the respective border district. With the fence erected on the Indian side of the 553-km International Border, a total of 21,600 acres in 220 villages across six districts — Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ferozepur, and Fazilka — are located on the Pakistan side. Excluding the disputed land, 17,654 acres are taken into consideration for compensation.