NCP minister demands stay on land acquisition for DMIC project

Makes strong case for compensation of Rs 10 lakh per acre, 15% developed land to PAPs

Sunil Tatkare, Water Resources Minister in the Maharashtra cabinet, has demanded a stay on land acquisition for the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), till the government declares a final policy in this regard.

“I have addressed a letter to the chief minister with a plea to direct the state-run Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to stop land acquisition of 25,500 hectares from Mangaon, Roha and Tala talukas, until a well carved out policy is in place. A comprehensive policy will definitely help remove misunderstanding and misconceptions among farmers and member of the public at large,” Tatkare, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), told Business Standard.

Tatkare raised the issue at the meeting of the state cabinet, held on Tuesday evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The minister brought to the cabinet’s notice that an agitation against the DMIC project had already been launched, especially in the wake of lack of clarity on the compensation, jobs to project affected persons (PAPs), expansion of Gaothan area, provision of amenities, the existence of local self bodies and curbs on chemical units.

Tatkare, who from the coastal Raigad district through which the DMIC passes, demanded that PAPs be paid a compensation of Rs 10 lakh per acre.

Tatkare’s move comes close on the heels of the state government’s New Industrial Policy, which envisages that the development of DMIC will further promote investments and employment generation.

Tatkare’s timing is quite crucial, especially since several political parties, including the Shiv Sena, Peasants and Workers Party and a couple of non-government organisations’ have launched an agitation against the land acquisition.

Ulka Mahajan, who is spearheading the agitation, alleged that the proposed manufacturing zone to be set up along the DMIC in Raigad district would adversely impact nearly 10,000 farmers as they would turn landless. “The government is painting a rosy picture of job creation for 3 million persons, but at what cost?” she asked.

The DMIC is expected to cover an overall length of 1,483 km between Delhi and Mumbai. About 17 per cent of its project influence area is in Maharashtra, covering about 20 per cent of the state’s area and 26 per cent of its population. A band of 150 km on either side of the freight corridor has been identified as the influence region for industrial development. The major districts include Mumbai Suburban, Mumbai City, Thane, Nashik, Pune, Aurangabad, Ahmadnagar, Dhule, Nandburar and Raigad.

The issue will now be discussed in a meeting between officials of the state government, MIDC and DMIC on April 12. Thereafter, another meeting will be held at the chief minister level to take a final decision with regard to land acquisition.