Farmers affected by development projects in Gadchiroli intensified their ongoing agitation on June 4 with a large march in the city.
Staging a sit-in protest outside the District Collector’s office, the demonstrators raised slogans such as, “We do not want assurances; stop the land acquisition.” Protesters were also seen holding placards that read, “Sheti aamchi, maati aamchi, nirnay ghenyacha adhikarihi amchach” (The farmland is ours, the soil is ours, and the right to decide is ours as well).
The protesters alleged that fertile agricultural land was being acquired by the government for development projects and mining activities in the district.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Vivek Khobragade of the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) said, “Today (Friday) is the second day of the protest; over 6,000 farmers from across the district have joined the agitation.”
The key demands of the farmers include that no fertile agricultural land of any village in Gadchiroli taluka should be acquired for the proposed airport project. The protesters have also demanded the cancellation of the ongoing land acquisition process for proposed Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) projects covering 14 villages in the Bhendala area and 13 villages in the Jayrampur area, besides seeking immediate measures to address the issue of wild elephants.
The key demands of the farmers include that no fertile agricultural land of any village in Gadchiroli taluka should be acquired for the proposed airport project. (Express)
Khobragade said farmers do not want to part with their land, want the proposed mines scrapped and are opposed to the airport project as well.
“If talks with Gadchiroli’s co-guardian minister, Ashish Jaiswal, yield a positive outcome, the agitation may be called off. Otherwise, the indefinite protest will continue,” he said.
Jaiswal visited the protest site on Friday evening and assured farmers that their concerns would be discussed.
“We have been informed that the Collector is on leave, so count these four days as lost. Whenever we launch an agitation, the concerned officials are not present in the office,” Khobragade alleged.
Referring to the Konsari project, a major integrated steel and iron ore processing complex spearheaded by Lloyds Metals, he alleged, “Fake resolutions were submitted without informing the villagers. No such gram sabha meetings were ever held. At that time, cases were even registered against us for raising objections.”
Bharat Kadate, a farmer from Mudholi Chak No. 2 village, told The Indian Express that his village falls under the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA). Following the 2023 notification for land acquisition, villagers convened three gram sabhas and passed resolutions opposing the acquisition.
The protesters alleged that fertile agricultural land was being acquired by the government for development projects and mining activities in the district. (Express)
“We also approached the district collector, local MLAs and MPs in the hope that the administration and the government would address our concerns. However, we received no response,” Kadate said.
Gadchiroli Collector Avishyant Panda told The Indian Express, “The land acquisition process provides stakeholders an opportunity to express their reservations and concerns as per the provisions of the Act. However, even before the start of the process, there has been an effort by certain elements to misrepresent facts and provoke people.”
Mahendra Bramhanwade of the farmers’ committee Gadchiroli Shetkari Sangharsh Kruti Samiti told the media that the state government had been carrying out land acquisition activities for the past two to three months despite repeated objections from farmers.
More than three weeks ago, the Maharashtra government granted administrative and financial approval for the proposed greenfield airport in Gadchiroli. The approval covers the acquisition of 311.81 hectares of government, private and forest land spread across Shirapur Chak, Guruwala, Hirapur and Rakhi villages.
According to the government order, Rs 76.99 crore has been sanctioned for the acquisition of 245.75 hectares of private land, while Rs 10.07 crore has been approved for the diversion of 34.68 hectares of forest land. The total approved expenditure of Rs 87.07 crore also includes compensation-related provisions.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is moving ahead with plans to acquire nearly 3,000 hectares of land across 14 villages in Chamorshi tehsil for a proposed Rs 1 lakh crore steel plant by the JSW Group.
The protesters alleged that fertile farmland is being acquired for an airport, industrial estates and mining projects despite opposition from affected villages. (Express Photo) 
The key demands of the farmers include that no fertile agricultural land of any village in Gadchiroli taluka should be acquired for the proposed airport project. (Express)
The protesters alleged that fertile agricultural land was being acquired by the government for development projects and mining activities in the district. (Express)
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