Land survey later, first need clarity on compensation: Locals

Locals stopped officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) from conducting survey of their land in Mogharpada for Metro-4 (Wadala to

Locals stopped officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) from conducting survey of their land in Mogharpada for Metro-4 (Wadala to Kasarvadavli) car shed on Monday morning. Around hundreds of farmers gathered at the spot, seeking clarity on the compensation.

HT Image

Last year, the Metro authority had decided to relocate the car shed land from Ovala to Mogharpada. Following this, around 200 farmers claimed that though the Mogharpada land is owned by the government, it was leased to them in 1960 for cultivation.

Sanjay Patil, 48, a villager, said, “We have been cultivating the land since 1960 and will not allow anyone to forcefully acquire it. We want proper compensation for the farmers.”

Local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Pratap Sarnaik has asked the district collector to hold a meeting with locals and the Metro authority to get a clarity on the compensation before proceeding with the survey. “The collector has agreed to conduct the meeting soon and the survey will be allowed after that.”

BG Pawar, joint metropolitan commissioner of MMRDA, said, “We have a set compensation for farmers, and they will be compensated accordingly. We have given the responsibility of land acquisition to the collector, who should resolve the differences with the locals.”