Gondia farmers oppose land acquisition for Gudma-Gankhaira rail line, warn of wider agitation
Farmers from four villages in Goregaon tehsil say the railway surveyed and notified their land without informing them, and have listed four demands.
Land acquisition is under way in Gondia district for the proposed new rail line between Gudma and Gankhaira, and farmers have reacted angrily. To protect their fertile farmland and the future of affected families, farmers held a meeting near the railway bridge at Dawwa on October 12 and strongly opposed the acquisition. They warned the administration that if the process is pushed ahead without taking them into confidence and without a proper decision on their demands, the agitation will intensify.
The meeting was held under the guidance of former MLA Khomeshwar Rahangdale. Laxmikant Kotkar of a farmers' organisation from Akola was present as chief guest. Also present were L. D. Chandrikapure, president of the Rail Bhu-Sampadan Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, its secretary Rajkumar (Pappu) Patle, Chitrakala Choudhary, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) district president Ravikant Bopche, Sneha Kolhe and Rajkumar Yadav. Many farmers from Dawwa, Gankhaira, Tumkheda and other affected villages attended.
A main cause of the farmers' anger is that the railway department surveyed the land without informing them in advance and then directly issued the land acquisition notification. Farmers of Tumkheda Budruk, Dawwa, Gankhaira and Hirdamali villages in Goregaon tehsil fear losing their fertile land to the proposed line.
The farmers said farming is their main source of livelihood and that if the land goes, families will face starvation. They asked how the future of families that have depended on farming for generations can be ignored in the name of development.
Presenting the farmers' demands, committee secretary Rajkumar (Pappu) Patle said, "We are not against development, but development carried out at the cost of farmers' interests will not be accepted. The government should take the affected farmers into confidence, discuss their problems, and proceed with acquisition only after proper compensation is fixed."
Patle also set out an important condition. He demanded that one member of the family of every farmer whose land is taken for the rail project be given a government job. According to him, compensation for the land alone is not enough; families whose livelihood will be lost for good need concrete arrangements to secure their future.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) district president Ravikant Bopche alleged that unilateral action is being taken without any discussion with the affected farmers. He demanded proper compensation, rehabilitation and priority for farmers' consent. Goregaon Panchayat Samiti chairperson Chitrakala Choudhary also said the administration should talk to farmers and take decisions in their interest.
At the meeting, farmers placed four main demands before the administration: proper compensation, adequate rehabilitation arrangements, transparent discussion before acquisition, and a government job for one member of each affected family. The farmers have warned clearly that if the administration does not take a positive decision on these, land acquisition for the Gudma-Gankhaira rail line will become part of a large farmers' agitation.
