Patna,(BiharTimes): Two farmers on fast-unto-death in Amhara village of Bihta block of Patna district, Sahdev Rai and Kaushal Kishore Tiwari were rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital on Saturday night as their condition deteriorated. The condition of the remaining five are also not well.
Besides them, Dr Anand, Amarnath Pal,

Ajit Singh, Ravindra Singh and Anand Kumar have been on fast for the last eight days. Two more persons, Simmi Kumari and Om Prakash Singh joined them on Sunday.

As reported earlier too a large number of local farmers and social activists gathered at Bihta on Sunday in support of the fasting farmers. They are protesting against what they allege the wrong land acquisition policy of the state government.

Farmer said Danapur SDO and ADM, Patna, came to meet the farmers three days back but after that no one from the administration tried to contact the farmers. 

The farmers said the problems started after the state government acquired 1,500 acres of land through Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) in Bihta for IIT and the mega industrial park. Around 536 acres of land has been allotted for the IIT campus.

The protestors alleged that the farmers of the area are not receiving the same amount of compensation from the BIADA. Some farmers got Rs 24,000 per kattha while others got Rs 1.50 lakh per kattha. 

Bihta region is known for best type of irrigated land in the state as it has a chain of canals originating from river Sone. The acquired plots too were known as three-crop land. Even garma dhan (summer paddy) used to be grown in these villages.

The farmers said that they initially thought it would be good for them to sell the land to government at reasonable price. But they felt cheated.

At present, according to them, a kattha of land is priced between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh in the area. A few years ago, it was available for only Rs 2-2.5 lakh per kattha.

Leaders of different opposition parties are paying visit to the fasting farmers.