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Journalism of Courage
Residents of Kombhali and Khandvi, two villages in Karjat taluka of Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district, have passed gram sabha resolutions to stop the acquisition of land for a proposed industrial area. With lawyers supporting the constitutional validity of the gram sabha resolutions, the villagers say they will not allow the acquisition to go ahead.
Around 246 hectares of land is to be acquired for the first Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) industrial area in Karjat. Vikas Gangarde, a resident of Kombhali, said this would mean a complete loss of livelihood for farmers. Farmers in both villages say they have invested in farm improvement.
In view of the administration’s decision to carry out the acquisition without taking them into confidence, residents in the villages passed gram sabha resolutions against the proposal.
The resolution of Khandvi reads, “The gram sabha considered the decision of the MIDC to acquire land for construction of MIDC and have decided to oppose this. The proposed MIDC would see farmers lose land where they have developed orchards and other crops. The gram sabha has opposed this move and this resolution is adopted unanimously to this effect. This resolution can’t be rescinded or altered in the future.”
A similar resolution was passed in Kombhali’s gram sabha.
A gram sabha is a meeting of all voters of a village called to discuss matters related to it. Its resolutions are binding on the administration post the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, pointed out Asim Sarode, an advocate.
Both resolutions were passed in mid-March and the villagers said they were yet to hear from the administration. Kombhali resident Gangarde said the gram sabha resolutions were submitted to revenue officers.
A public hearing is mandatory before land acquisition as per the law, but it is yet to happen. A senior revenue officer, while speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the gram sabha resolution would have to be considered for the social impact assessment, which is required to be done before the land acquisition process starts.
However, the officer said the MIDC Act does not have any provision to consider such resolutions.
Advocate Sarode said any contravention of the gram sabha resolution can be challenged in court. “Most of the time these resolutions are rescinded by local politicians, but legally they are binding,” he said.
Bhim Raskar, a trustee of the Mahila Rajyasatta Andolan—which works to strengthen grassroots democracy—echoed Sarode. “This can be challenged in the court,” Raskar said.
With both villages passing resolutions opposing the MIDC’s land acquisition, questions are being raised about its future. This was supposed to be the first MIDC area in Karjat. Local MLA Rohit Pawar of the NCP (SP) and BJP MLC and Legislative Council Speaker Ram Shinde have taken opposite sides on the proposal.
