Won’t sell land for freight corridor: Farmers
We do not have any land left to till, protest villagers from Kalol, Pansar, Vada Swami, Insad, Ora, Chhatral, Pratapura, Ramnagar, Pipaj, Vamaj and Dajipura
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, September 07, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110907201109070229126612778812/Won%E2%80%99t-sell-land-for-freight-corridor-Farmers.html)
Indian Railways’ ambitious project of developing a dedicated freight corridor, aimed at changing the face of its freight traffic business, is suffering a setback due to land acquisition trouble in the state. Farmers of several villages — Kalol, Pansar, Vada Swami, Insad, Ora, Chhatral, Pratapura, Ramnagar, Pipaj, Vamaj and Dajipura — are protesting the acquistion of their land for this purpose.
Around 250 farmers met in a farmhouse on Sunday to chalk out an action plan. Those present at the meeting agreed unanimously against signing any papers or giving up their land. On Monday, a delegation of 25 members left for Delhi to meet the railway minister to discuss their problems. They said that if the need arises, farmers would be willing to go on protest fast as well.
In Gujarat, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) had reportedly aligned the corridor from Kalol to Ahmedabad. Later, changes were made to avoid congested areas and railway junctions. The route was diverted at many places including Mehsana and Palanpur to run from Kalol to Sanand through Pansar. The railways have special powers to take possession of land for projects of national importance but objections have surfaced from land owners in villages along the proposed route.
Joining hands under Railway Corridor Virodh Kisan Sangh, the farmers have vociferously protested the move. Sangh secretary Mohan Prajapati said, “The DFCCIL wants to acquire 322 bighas of land in these villages. The corporation is offering monetary compensation, but this is not a good deal. Earlier, the state government took away a lot of our land to create GIDC, Narmada canals, roads etc. Today, farmers have no land to till. The money does not last long. We need a steady means of earning. More than 300 farmers are affected by DFCCIL’s decision. And this is just one stretch.”
He added, “Several elected representatives have written to DFCCIL about our woes, but no one is paying heed. We are not ready to give up our land. If forced, we will go to Delhi and meet the railway minister. If that fails, we will plan massive protests.”
“It has been decided that no farmer will help the official map the land. Payment by the railways have been rejected. We also refuse to help government officials with any work,” added Prajapati.
The project
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor is part of a Rs 77,000-crore project being handled by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a special purpose vehicle under the ministry of railways. Under the project, new tracks are being built to transport containers and goods at speeds up to 100 km per hour, reducing travel time by a third, and creating one of the world’s largest and freight operations. The construction of Dedicated Freight Corridor aims to link the ports of western India and the ports and mines of eastern India to Delhi and Punjab. The western stretch will connect Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, September 07, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110907201109070229126612778812/Won%E2%80%99t-sell-land-for-freight-corridor-Farmers.html)
Indian Railways’ ambitious project of developing a dedicated freight corridor, aimed at changing the face of its freight traffic business, is suffering a setback due to land acquisition trouble in the state. Farmers of several villages — Kalol, Pansar, Vada Swami, Insad, Ora, Chhatral, Pratapura, Ramnagar, Pipaj, Vamaj and Dajipura — are protesting the acquistion of their land for this purpose.
Around 250 farmers met in a farmhouse on Sunday to chalk out an action plan. Those present at the meeting agreed unanimously against signing any papers or giving up their land. On Monday, a delegation of 25 members left for Delhi to meet the railway minister to discuss their problems. They said that if the need arises, farmers would be willing to go on protest fast as well.
In Gujarat, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) had reportedly aligned the corridor from Kalol to Ahmedabad. Later, changes were made to avoid congested areas and railway junctions. The route was diverted at many places including Mehsana and Palanpur to run from Kalol to Sanand through Pansar. The railways have special powers to take possession of land for projects of national importance but objections have surfaced from land owners in villages along the proposed route.
Joining hands under Railway Corridor Virodh Kisan Sangh, the farmers have vociferously protested the move. Sangh secretary Mohan Prajapati said, “The DFCCIL wants to acquire 322 bighas of land in these villages. The corporation is offering monetary compensation, but this is not a good deal. Earlier, the state government took away a lot of our land to create GIDC, Narmada canals, roads etc. Today, farmers have no land to till. The money does not last long. We need a steady means of earning. More than 300 farmers are affected by DFCCIL’s decision. And this is just one stretch.”
He added, “Several elected representatives have written to DFCCIL about our woes, but no one is paying heed. We are not ready to give up our land. If forced, we will go to Delhi and meet the railway minister. If that fails, we will plan massive protests.”
“It has been decided that no farmer will help the official map the land. Payment by the railways have been rejected. We also refuse to help government officials with any work,” added Prajapati.
The project
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor is part of a Rs 77,000-crore project being handled by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a special purpose vehicle under the ministry of railways. Under the project, new tracks are being built to transport containers and goods at speeds up to 100 km per hour, reducing travel time by a third, and creating one of the world’s largest and freight operations. The construction of Dedicated Freight Corridor aims to link the ports of western India and the ports and mines of eastern India to Delhi and Punjab. The western stretch will connect Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
