Mangrol: The farmers protested against land acquisition started by the Gujarat Industries Power Company Ltd. (GIPCL) company in six villages of Mangrol taluka.

The GIPCL company, operating in Nani Naroli village in Mangrol taluka, had acquired land in Nani Naroli and surrounding villages in 1993 due to the abundant availability of lignite in the Mangrol area. Later, the company acquired land in Bhilwada in Mangrol taluka and Rajgadh Luna and other villages of Valiya taluka in the second phase in 2009. It resulted in protests. The company has now released a notification of land acquisition of over 500 hectares of land in six villages, namely Mangrol, Mosali, Nani Pardi, Amandera, Harsani, and Charetha.

A meeting was held in Mangrol under the leadership of farmers’ leader Ketanbhai Bhatt. Amandera village’s former Sarpanch, Subhashbhai Vasava, and those who protested against the company’s land acquisition in 2009, namely Dr. Ibrahim Pandor, advocate Sohel Noor Mahammand, JP Babubhai Lulat, and others, were present at the meeting. Ketan Bhatt said that the company has not provided employment or any compensation to the farmers after the land acquisition in the past. Dr. Ibrahim Pandor said that the company’s agents had prepared the land acquisition documents eight months before releasing the notification. DeshGujarat