Protest against Bullet Train: Govt wants to give only Rs 40L instead of Rs 5 cr, says protesting outfit

Government wants to give Rs40 lakh per bigha of land in Amadpor village in Navsari district instead of market price of Rs five crore, said Jayesh Patel, president of Gujarat Khedut Samaj (GKS), which is protesting against Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train and is on a four-day drive to mobilize farmers who are also against the project as it eats into their fertile land.

On the third day of the drive, 'Khedut Sampark Abhiyan' GKS visited and Angoli villages of Surat district, as well as Kachholi and Amadpor village of Navsari district. Patel said the drive is able to garner a response from villages.

"In every village, 100-500 farmers are attending the meetings and oppose the project in one voice,' said Patel.Talking about Amadpor village, Patel said that the market price of the land is Rs five crore but the government wants to buy land at jantri rates which is Rs40 lakh per bigha. How can farmers agree to such a bargain, he asked. The land in South Gujarat is extremely fertile. It also receives canal water from Ukai dam on Tapi river as well as other smaller dams. Farmers are reaping rich dividends from horticulture crops like sugarcane, mango, banana, guava, among others. Sugar cooperatives have improved the earnings of farmers and that is why farmers are not willing to part with land.

Small farmers fear that they will be robbed of their livelihood if their land is acquired. Gujarat Khedut Samaj alleged that the Gujarat government which had carried out a drive to construct the checkdams, is throwing roadblocks into checkdams being constructed by farmers. "Government wants to show off the initiative to construct checkdams, spending crores of rupees. "However, it ignored the requirements of farmers in the tribal village of Meghraj and Methda village in Arvalli district of North Gujarat," said Sagar Rabari, secretary of Gujarat Khedut Samaj.