Land acquisition for DFC: 118 farmers' objections rejected

The land acquisition officer of Vadodara district has rejected 118 objections to the acquisition of large number of farmers' lands in Vadodara city area and the district, sources said here today.

They had made a representation to the officer, who is the competent authority, in the past for not acquiring their fertile lands for the Special Railway Project Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) in Vadodara district of Gujarat.

Private agriculture lands of farmers from 14 villages and Jambuva on the outskirt of Vadodara city, eight villages of Karjan taluk and one village of Padra taluk falling under the Vadodara district have been acquired for this project.

Their objections had followed after publication of the extra ordinary notification by the Governent of India in the Ministry of Railways on 10 August 2009 under sub-section 20 (a) of the Railways Act, 1989.

It declared its intention in acquiring the land specified in the schedule annexed to this notification for this Special Railway Project Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in the Vadodara district.

The publications of this notification had taken place in vernacular and English dailies on September 5, 2009 after which the large number of farmers had lodged their objections before the land acquisition officer.

After considering them, the officer disallowed them and accordingly had passed the orders, sources told PTI here today.

After this, under the pursuance of sub?"section (2) of section 20(e) of the railway act, the competent authority had submitted its report to the central government.

After the receipt of this report, the Central government declared that the land specified here shall be acquired for the aforesaid purpose.

The Central government has published another notification on June 11, 2010 saying the land specified shall vest absolutely in the Central government, free from all encumbrances.

The notification asked the persons concerned (land owners) to represent their interests, if any, with grounds thereof, either in person or by their representatives or by their legal practitioner at 10.30 am on July 19 and 20 to the Land Acquisition officer at Unit No.1 sixth floor, Kuber Bhavan, Vadodara.

The farmers, whose lands have been acquired, had represented before the land acquisition officer in the past that their fertile lands would be lost and they would be ruined if their demands of making survey of 330 kms stretch of the western side of the DFC project was not conceded.

This fertile land is located in 24 villages of Vadodara city and district, said Dilip Mehta, president of the Vadodara City Developers Association.