Farmers in Maharshtra to go on an indefinite fast to protest land acquisition

The farmers have alleged the Maharashtra government has acquired around 1,000 hectares in Roha and Mangaon tehsils of Raigad

Protesting against the “forcible acquisition of farm land for the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), farm activists plan to go on an indefinite fast from August 1 in Raigad district under the banner of ‘Corridor Virodhi Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti’ and ‘Jagatikaran Virodhi Kruti Samiti’.

ctivists claimed despite scaling down the project, the 78 villages were not denotified. (Pic for Representation)

The group represents 78 villages, which were originally part of the project. Following protests in 2013, the project was scaled down to one-third its size.

In the first phase of the project, only 10 villages are involved with the land spread over 3,100 hectares. Activists claimed despite scaling down the project, the 78 villages were not denotified, raising questions over the intent of the government.

The farmers have alleged the Maharashtra government has acquired around 1,000 hectares in Roha and Mangaon tehsils of Raigad and is looking to forcibly acquire the rest.

DMIC officials maintain they are not planning forcible acquisition of land and a majority of the land for the phase one of the project has been acquired through negotiations.

Ulka Mahajan, a member of the committee, said, “We demand the state government form a committee to look into our concerns.”