farmers participated in a meeting and decided to protest against the land acquisition (File)Hundreds of farmers participated in a meeting and decided to protest against the land acquisition for a new broad gauge railway goods line in Hazira from Adani port to Gothan village in Olpad taluka.
The affected farmers belonging to the villages of Ichhapore, Damka, Bhatlai, Mora and Shivrampur, gathered in the community hall at Bhatlai to decide the future course of action against the land acquisition
One such agitating farmer, Kalpesh Patel, said “We will not give our land for the railway line between Adani port and Gothan village. The majority of the affected ones are small farmers and our livelihood will be snatched away. We don’t know how much the government has decided to reward as compensation but we are sure that with that amount we cannot purchase farming land in nearby areas as the market value is too high.”
“There is an existing broad gauge goods railway track that starts from Kribhco at Hazira to Gothan village. For the new railway goods train line around 85 hectares of farming land falling in 15 villages will be acquired and a total of 277 farmers will be affected,” he added.
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Patel further said that the farmers have decided to form a committee that will make representations to the elected Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) MLA of Olpad and state cabinet minister Mukesh Patel and State BJP president C R Paatil, in the coming days.
“Our committee members will request the political leaders to not acquire the land and use the existing railway line instead,” he said.
Surat district president of Khedut Samaj, Ramesh Patel, said, “We are going to organize a mega meeting of affected farmers. The affected farmers will remain present and we will decide our future course of actions on whether we will carry out a fight on the street or we will go ahead in a legal way.”
Khedut Samaj Gujarat has also called a meeting of affected farmers on Wednesday afternoon.
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