UP approves higher compensation for land under transmission towers
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved a proposal to provide double compensation to farmers for land occupied by high-tension power transmission towers, raising payouts for land affected by 765 kV, 400 kV, 220 kV and 132 kV lines across agricultural fields.
Energy Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma announced the decision after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He stated that land directly beneath tower bases, including a one-metre radius, will be compensated at twice the prevailing land value. For areas affected by overhead transmission lines, farmers will receive 30% of the land value.
According to the minister, the revised framework increases compensation by an estimated 21% to 33% over existing provisions. Earlier, before 2018, no compensation was provided for land under tower bases or transmission corridors. Changes introduced in 2018 allowed compensation of up to 85% of land value for tower base areas, but these were viewed as insufficient and created challenges in project execution.
The minister added that the updated policy aligns with fresh guidelines issued by the central government and aims to improve farmer participation in transmission infrastructure development.
The government indicated that the decision is expected to ease the implementation of transmission projects while ensuring fair compensation. No suspension of ongoing or planned transmission line projects has been announced.
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