Surat : Farmers Protest Over Land Acquisition for Railway Project

Surat : Tension escalated in Hazira and Olpad talukas on Monday as hundreds of farmers from coastal villages stormed the district collector’s office, vociferously opposing the Indian Railways’ proposed land acquisition for the Gothan-Hazira special railway track. Chanting slogans and holding aloft placards, they accused the administration of harassing poor farmers and snatching away their livelihood.

Their ire stems from the planned confiscation of fertile farmlands for the project, despite the availability of alternative options. As recently as December 5, 2023, farmers claim they presented the Olpad prant officer with evidence of thousands of hectares of unused government wasteland – a seemingly perfect alternative for the track. Yet, the authorities remain fixated on acquiring land belonging to farmers like Bharat Patel from Malgama.

Facing the prospect of losing 2.5 bighas of his precious farmland, Patel’s desperation reached a peak. “The railway department wants to take my land at a pittance,” he lamented. “Rather than surrender it, I’d rather seek euthanasia from the President of India.” His anguished words echoed the collective fear gripping the farming community.

Farmer leader Dipak Patel added fuel to the fire, questioning the project’s prioritization. “If CRZ permission for tourism at Dumas beach can be deemed unimportant, how can this railway project be so critical? Why target farmers when blatant CRZ violations like illegal shrimp ponds have flourished for years under the government’s nose?”