GIDC plans to acquire three more villages in Sanand

Even as farmers of four villages continue protest against land acquisition, GIDC sends proposal to revenue dept to acquire 1500 acres at Makhia, Khoda and Kalana villages

DILIP PATEL

Even as farmers of the four villages continue to protest against proposed land acquisition by Gujarat industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), it has come up with a proposal to acquire land from three more villages.
GIDC had initiated the process to acquire around 6,000 acres of land in villages such as Haripura, Charal, Bol and Siyawada near Sanand, where Tata’s Nano car plant is under construction. The move had met with stiff resistance from 600 farmers of the four villages.
GIDC has now sent a proposal to the revenue department to acquire 1500 acres of land from three more villages: all of Makhia and parts of Khoda and Kalana.
Farmers’ leader Kamsi Patel said, “Collector Harit Shukla had told us at a meeting on January 20 that farmers’ land will not be taken away against their wish. But they seem set to acquire land from three more villages. Why is the procedure to acquire Haripura, Charal, Bol and Siyawada still on? No space has been left in the area surrounding the villages for future development. A 500-metre area sold be left vacant.
“We have decided that we will go to jail, but not give up our land. We will fight for our livelihood. We have sent an application to CM Narendra Modi.”
Meanwhile, a notice was sent to Bor village by GIDC announcing a meeting on February 9, where GIDC officer on special duty N D Jhala will go to Sanand and listen to the panchayats and farmers’ objections to the proposed acquisition.
Jhala said, “Never in GIDC’ history has land been forcibly acquired, even though the government has the power to take away land for public projects.”
“The farmers will receive a fair price for their land. Though there is no system in place to determine the value, we will study the land sale records registered in the Collector’s office in the past four years. Based on the average of these, we will determine the compensation for the land,” he added.