Gandhinagar: In a major boost to the state’s farming community, the Gujarat government has floated a fresh proposal to pay for land acquisition for Narmada canal network as per the newly announced jantri rates. The new jantri rates are 300 to 400 per cent higher than those in effect till last week.
The proposal comes close on the heels of a government resolution (GR) dated March 31, 2011, which says that all land acquisitions, whether for public or private use, would have to be paid compensation according to the new jantri, which is government assessment of real estate value.
“The proposal, pending before the cabinet sub-committee on land acquisition for Narmada canals, is likely to be approved on Wednesday, ahead of several mass rallies planned by chief minister Narendra Modi to kick-start construction of canal network starting with Kutch on April 9,”
“Tenders of Rs 9,000 crore have already been floated,” the bureaucrat added. In Kutch alone, Rs 4,600 crore will be spent for construction of 360-km-long canal.
On the flip side, however, the proposal would mean that thousands of farmers who gave about 7,800 hectares (ha) of land for the canals under old jantri rates would now demand a higher rate, saying the new jantri has put them on a ‘disadvantaged’ position.
“The Gujarat government, which is in the midst of land acquisition process, still needs to acquire another 7,000 ha of land from the farmers in Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat.
The government has already paid Rs 155 crore for acquiring 7,800 ha of land. We now estimate that the amount to be paid for the rest of the land would be more than Rs 300 crore,” he added.
Officials admit more money, close to Rs 1,000 crore, will have to be shelled out from state coffers once land acquisition begins for constructing sub-minors, or field channels.
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