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Alleging inadequate compensation, South Gujarat farmers to organise tractor rally against power corporation
The farmers said they have not received adequate compensation in lieu of their agricultural fields being used to install electric towers for a new transmission line
From left Darshan Naik, Jayesh Patel (KSG STATE president), Ramesh Patel (KSG SOUTH Gujarat president) and Parimal Patel (Surat district KSG president) (Express Photo)
With work on a power transmission line from Kutch to Navsari underway, several farmers of South Gujarat have alleged that they have not received adequate compensation in lieu of their agricultural fields being used to install electricity towers.
On Sunday, a number of these farmers from around 50 villages in Olpad taluka gathered at Anand Ashram in Bhadol village to protest against the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL).
The farmers, gathered under the aegis of Khedut Samaj Gujarat (KSG), announced plans to take out a tractor rally this week in Surat.
Jayesh Patel, the state president of KSG, a farmers’ body, said, “We have held a meeting with the farmers of Olpad taluka, and there are many such farmers in different villages in four more talukas in Surat district. We will conduct a joint meeting with them in the coming days to make the farmers aware of their right to compensation, and also invite them to participate in the tractor rally.”
Jayesh said, “A big corporate company has set up a renewable power plant at Khavda in Kutch. Through this plant, the company will generate 30,000 megawatts of power through solar and wind power. On behalf of the corporate company, the PGCIL is working to set up transmission lines and electric towers, which will pass through eight districts in Gujarat.”
Jayesh said, “We have taken complaints from the affected farmers, and they were assured a compensation amount of Rs 1.34 crore each for the electric towers installed and transmission lines passing through the agricultural fields. The farmers have been paid a far lower amount. We have determined the tower’s base area to be 247 meters. A high-voltage transmission line of 765 kVDC will pass through it. We are not opposing the work, but we want the farmers to be fairly compensated.”
Surat district KSG president Ramesh Patel said, “Generally, if a power line passes through any agricultural field, the price of that field goes down. In the coming days, we will make a representation to the government to get the transmission line passed through the sea coast area so that the agricultural field does not get affected.”
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In the coming days, KSG is planning to organise a joint meeting with the affected farmers of Olpad, Mangrol, Palsana, Bardoli and Kamrej talukas. They will also hold a meeting with the affected farmers from Navsari and Bharuch.
KSG members have appealed to the affected farmers to prepare to join the protest rally.
KSG’s Surat district president Parimal Patel was also present at the meeting, among others.
Officials of PGCI could not be contacted for comment.
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