Hundreds of farmers today rallied to Mamlatdar office protesting proposed Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation(GIDC) estate adjacent to the Tata Nano Project at Chharodi in Sanand taluka here.

State government’s Industry department arm GIDC is considering to develop an ‘auto industrial hub’ on 8000 acres of land that presently belongs to seven villages.

The government has already issued a notification to acquire 5,000 acres of land that belong to four villages for this purpose. Another notification to acquire 3,0000 acres of land covering three more villages is expected soon.

The villages that are involved in protest against the notification are Bol, Hirapur, Charan, Shiyavada, Kunvar, Makhiyav, Khoda and Kalana. The farmers say they are happy doing farming here and they do not wish to become industrial or agricultural laborer. According to agitating farmers, the land in this area yields 1600 to 1800 kg rice and 1000 kg wheat per Bigha along with other minor farm products such as tomato, cumin, Fennel Seed etc.

Farmers said, “after Tata Motors Nano plant arrived here, our land price rocketed and we were offered Rs 50 to 60 lac per Bigha, but we didn’t sell our land. Industrial areas of Sanand, Vasna Iyava are nearby. Why the government want to snatch our fertile land for industries? The proposed GIDC land acquisition will adversely affect 2000 farmers of this area. We have submitted our memorandum to district collector, revenue department and GIDC, but it seems nobody in government is willing to listen to us. We too are citizen of Gujarat.”

It should be mentioned here that apart from Sanand, ‘farmers vs industry’ agitations are presently going on at two other places in the state. Yesterday around 300 agitators were held by police during their protest rally against Nirma’s Mahuva cement project in Bhavnagar district. In south Gujarat, N Vitthal’s proposed Vittal Innovation city project has been delayed due to agitation of local farmers against acquisition of their fertile land. Another farmer agitation is going on in north Gujarat’s Nandasan village where land acquisition for Mumbai-Delhi freight corridor is being opposed.