Residents of Kombhali and Khandvi, two villages in Karjat taluka of Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district, have handed gram sabha resolutions to cease the acquisition of land for a proposed industrial space. With legal professionals supporting the constitutional validity of the gram sabha resolutions, the villagers say they won’t enable the acquisition to go forward.
Round 246 hectares of land is to be acquired for the primary Maharashtra Industrial Improvement Company (MIDC) industrial space in Karjat. Vikas Gangarde, a resident of Kombhali, stated this is able to imply a whole lack of livelihood for farmers. Farmers in each villages say they’ve invested in farm enchancment.
In view of the administration’s choice to hold out the acquisition with out taking them into confidence, residents within the villages handed gram sabha resolutions in opposition to the proposal.
The decision of Khandvi reads, “The gram sabha thought-about the choice of the MIDC to amass land for development of MIDC and have determined to oppose this. The proposed MIDC would see farmers lose land the place they’ve developed orchards and different crops. The gram sabha has opposed this transfer and this decision is adopted unanimously to this impact. This decision can’t be rescinded or altered sooner or later.”
An identical decision was handed in Kombhali’s gram sabha.
A gram sabha is a gathering of all voters of a village referred to as to debate issues associated to it. Its resolutions are binding on the administration publish the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, identified Asim Sarode, an advocate.
Each resolutions have been handed in mid-March and the villagers stated they have been but to listen to from the administration. Kombhali resident Gangarde stated the gram sabha resolutions have been submitted to income officers.
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A public listening to is necessary earlier than land acquisition as per the regulation, however it’s but to occur. A senior income officer, whereas talking on the situation of anonymity, stated the gram sabha decision must be thought-about for the social impression evaluation, which is required to be finished earlier than the land acquisition course of begins.
Nonetheless, the officer stated the MIDC Act doesn’t have any provision to think about such resolutions.
Advocate Sarode stated any contravention of the gram sabha decision might be challenged in courtroom. “More often than not these resolutions are rescinded by native politicians, however legally they’re binding,” he stated.
Bhim Raskar, a trustee of the Mahila Rajyasatta Andolan—which works to strengthen grassroots democracy—echoed Sarode. “This may be challenged within the courtroom,” Raskar stated.
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With each villages passing resolutions opposing the MIDC’s land acquisition, questions are being raised about its future. This was alleged to be the primary MIDC space in Karjat. Native MLA Rohit Pawar of the NCP (SP) and BJP MLC and Legislative Council Speaker Ram Shinde have taken reverse sides on the proposal.
