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Journalism of Courage
A steady stream of landowners walked into the New Administrative Office in Saswad throughout Tuesday, the last day to sign land acquisition consent forms for the International Airport in Purandar. The land survey to demarcate property and enumerate features like houses, trees, farmland, and other details will begin on Friday, and will be used for rate evaluation and final acquisition.
For years, villagers from Pargaon and neighbouring villages have protested against the land acquisition. In May, violence broke out at a drone survey being conducted in Kumbharvalan village. Multiple injuries were reported as villagers opposing the acquisition clashed with the police. Jitendra Dudi, District Collector of Pune, told The Indian Express that at the end of Thursday, 3220 landowners had signed consent for 2810 acres of land in Purandar, representing 94 per cent of the total land.
Kalyan Pandhare, Deputy Collector Land Acquisition, said, “The survey will begin at three villages – Udachiwadi, Munjawadi, Ekhatpur. A single team will be deployed at Udachiwadi and Mujhawadi each and three teams will be deployed at Ekhatpur. The survey will begin at 9 am. Drones will not be used tomorrow, that will happen later.”
Pandhare also informed that the survey will go on for two to three weeks and added, “We will declare the rate after the survey and based on that acquisition agreements will happen. The rates will be declared soon after our survey.”
At the Saswad office
A farmer from Udachiwadi, signing the consent form at the designated room in the office in Saswad on Wednesday, said, “We did not really wish for this. But now that everyone is going along, it should not happen that I miss out on the opportunity and the benefits provided by the government. If the project is inevitable but we keep opposing it then we might lose out on whatever we are being offered as well. We will try to negotiate the terms in our favour in the future meetings.”
Five of the 10 acres of land owned by Narayan Kumbarkar in Vanpure is being acquired. Signing the final forms, he said, “I was also among those who were opposing earlier. But now that almost everyone has given their consent, I am also giving it. Much of the opposition to the acquisition has now reduced. Collector Saheb met villagers and many of their doubts have been cleared. If development is happening, one person cannot stop it.”
Pune-based Sumit Patole, who owns 15 guntha of land in Pargaon, said that they arrived at the office to enquire about the acquisition, but had no idea that the survey was beginning from the next day. “My grandfather bought the land around 2000. We have 15 guntha in Pargaon. We have no reason to oppose it. We did not even know that today was the last day, just by chance we came today.”
