LAHROE - Growers have refused to handover their agri land to set up industrial city, saying that several dairy farms and dozens of milk points will be eliminated while families of more than 1,500 growers will be affected by the proposed garment city of the Punjab government.
As a matter of fact, some 1500 families of the affected farmers including Sahoki Malian, Bhamb, Khokharki Malian and Qyampur in district Sheikhupura have rolled their sleeves up against the Punjab government to safeguard their fertile, rich agriculture land, three state-of-the-art dairy farms and around 50 milk points besides their pre-partition houses and havelis.  “We will defeat the adamant attitude of the Chief Minister Punjab by sacrificing our livelihood and ourselves”, said Nisar Ahmed Virk, president Anjuman-e-Mutasereen Garment City Sheikhupura Motorway M-2. The affected farmers of the garment city project at the Sheikhupura Motorway have urged the Chief Minister Punjab to revert the decision. Otherwise, they would shoot their buffaloes and set their standing crops ablaze in protest against acquisition of their lands by the Punjab government.
It may be noted that the Punjab government had first notification under section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act on 24-10-2013 to acquire 8845 kanals and 12-marla of land situated in four Mauzas of district Sheikhupura. It was followed by another notification dated 26-11-2013 in which an additional area of 2554 kanals and 13 marlas was earmarked in two additional Mauzas namely Mandiala and Chak Sethian.
Virk said the Punjab government has started forced mutation of land in a recent development that has irked the residents of these villages, as they are not ready to let the government to acquire their precious agriculturally rich land where model dairy farms are also running successfully.