PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 26 -- Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday alleged that farmers were not receiving fair compensation for their land acquired for development projects. He also claimed that rising costs, mounting debt and shrinking income had pushed the farming community into distress.

Tikait, also Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson, attended the BKU's "Kisan Kranti Mahapanchayat" at Mundera Mandi in Prayagraj. Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the event, he accused the government of failing farmers and unemployed youth.

He said land acquisition had emerged as a major issue across the country with farmers allegedly receiving inadequate compensation despite large-scale infrastructure projects such as highways and i...