Chandigarh: Previous owners of the land over which Industrial Model Township (IMT) Rohtak was built were stunned after they received cheques for Rs 2, Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 12 as royalty from the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC).

Their land was acquired in 2006. While farmers expressed disappointment at the meagre amounts being given to them, HSIIDC officials stated they were following policy guidelines for paying royalty and that compensation was paid to them in 2007 itself.

According to information, this royalty has been released for the year 2014. Cheques of royalty have been paid to residents of Kheri Sadh and Baliali villages, The Times of India reported.

“How shameful it is on the part of government to be issuing cheques for this amount? We don’t know which provision the government is following? All this despite the fact that the government has announced that Rs 500 will be paid as compensation under any circumstances,” Jaiveer Singh, a resident of Baliani, said. Jaiveer and his brother have been given cheques of Rs 2 each.

Another farmer Jaipal Singh has been given a cheque of Rs 5 as royalty. “HSIIDC should have donated this money to some charity in the village instead of paying us,” he said.

Haryana’s industries minister Captain Abhimanyu justifies the distribution of money. “Firstly, this is royalty money, which has been released in accordance to the provisions of land acquisition. How can the government release less or high amount than what is due,” he asked. HSIIDC officials said that the cheque amount could be low owing to several shareholders of the land acquired.

HSIIDC developed IMT Rohtak, which is spread over 2,700 acres in 2006. The villages where the land was acquired include Baliana, Bhalaut and Kheri Sadh. An amount of over Rs 165.17 crore has already been given to landowners as compensation for acquiring their property.

Under the acquisition policy, landowners would continue to get royalty at the rate of Rs 15,000 per annum per acre for 33 years with an annual increase of Rs 500 per acre. The oustees have already received their compensation for the acquired land and after the allotment of industrial plots, HSIIDC has started releasing the royalty to them.

In January 2008, cheques amounting to over Rs 69.10 lakh were distributed as royalty for 2007 to 1,386 landowners of Baliana village.