Farmers take out rally against land acquisition in Sanand

Around 4000 people, mostly farmers, today took out a rally against land acquisition by Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in villages near Sanand in Ahmedabad.

GIDC has initiated process for acquiring more than 5,000 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.