Ahmedabad: Around 4000 people, mostly
farmers, today took out a rally against land acquisition by
Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in villages
near Sanand.
GIDC has initiated process for acquiring more than 5000
acre land for industrial purpose in villages like Aripura,
Charal, Bol and Siyawada near Sanand.
"All farmers who are set to lose their agriculture land
for industry came together and submitted a memorandum to
Sanand mamalatdar," Pankajsinh Vaghela, Ahmedabad district
panchayat member from Sanand said.
He said over 1500 women also joined the rally which ended
in a public meeting.
According to him, farmers have stated in the memorandum
that they would not part with their fertile land and the
government should use waste land instead of agriculture land
for industry.
Farmers in the area have been arguing that since they
grow many crops in a year like paddy, wheat, cotton, fodder
and vegetables helped by irrigation from the Narmada canals,
their land should not be acquired for industry.
Their contention is that agriculture is the main source
of livelihood for them and it should not be taken away.
Meanwhile, the state revenue department today issued another
notification for acquiring over 850 hectare land at Haripura
village near Sanand.
-PTI
First Published: Monday, December 14, 2009, 20:25