The Mandal-Becharaji Special Investment Region (SIR) in Mehsana district is a proposed cluster of automobile and textile industries on the Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor. Auto major Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is setting up a car factory here. Faced with massive protests from farmers and social activists, the government in 2013 decided to exclude 36 of the 44 villages from this proposed project.

The area where the SIR is proposed is predominantly an agricultural stretch with no industrial presence. Even after the government narrowed down the number of villages to set up the SIR, three of the remaining eight villages refused to be a part of this project. Farmers from these three villages have strongly opposed the government's decision and have been rallying against it. They refuse to leave farming, which is their main source of livelihood, and become industrial labourers.

"In our village, more than 50 per cent of the land would be gone if the SIR materialises; we would not be left with enough cultivable land to pursue agriculture. We would get a little bit of cash by selling our land, but that will be exhausted soon, and we lose our land, our asset," Samad Thakore, sarpanch of Ughroj village, told journalists. However, some villages stated that they hold a neutral position and are not particularly against the project.

The land records of the government show the notified area as government ‘wasteland,’ however, the villagers have been cultivating this land for over 60 years. The land records of the villages show that this area was allocated for farming, leading them to believe that this is a ploy to snatch their lands.

In January 2014, farmers from Vithalpur and Hanslapur organised a cattle rally but were lathi-charged and restrained.

In March 2014, farmers of Hanslapur and civil society representatives staged a protest in front of the Ahmedabad High Court. This led to the removal of most villages from the SIR but issues regarding the withdrawal of the SIR notification, removal of MSIL from the project site and reversal of the process of de-commanding of the Narmada command area remain.

In June 2019, the state government decided to fast-track the project after downsizing it further to settle protests. In July 2019, a public hearing on the Mandal Becharaji Special Investment Region (MBSIR) in Mehsana district was postponed after protests from farmers and NGOs about its organisation. Farmers argued that the notices for the hearing were issued too late, with some not receiving them at all. "To avoid confusion, the decision was made to postpone the hearing," Resident Additional Collector P B Rathod told The Indian Express.

Villager Bhupat Solanki pointed out that the complete Environment Impact Assessment Report was not shared before the meeting, with only an executive summary given to some villagers. He criticized the inadequate arrangements made for the meeting, which catered to only 200 people.

Interestingly, in August 2019, seven of the villages that exited the project in 2013 (Odhavpura, Odhav, Dadhana, Zanzerwa, Kachrol, Anandpura and Sinaj) approached the government requesting to be reinducted into the SIR. They were asked to pass a resolution in their gram sabhas to ensure that a majority of the villagers wanted to be a part of the SIR. The reason for this move remains unknown but officials state that the villages have finally understood the benefits of the SIR.

In December 2020, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani virtually inaugurated administrative office building of Mandal-Becharaji Special Investment Regional Development Authority, built at the cost of Rs.5.44 crore at Hansalpur in Mandal taluka of Ahmedabad district.

In October 2023, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the formation of the Bechraji Area Development Authority to boost religious and economic activities in the Bahucharaji area of North Gujarat.

Covering 825 hectares, the authority includes Bechraji, Shankhalpur, Kalri, Ganeshpura, Pratapgadh, Finchdi, Dedana, and Edla villages. It will develop a plan under the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976, to provide infrastructure such as roads, street lights, gardens, and drainage. The Mahesana district collector will lead the new authority.

According to the state government, the decision aims to develop the ancient Bahuchar Mata pilgrimage site, Shankhalpur tirth, Vallabh Bhatt Stepwell, and the Mandal-Bechraji Special Investment Region, which houses 30 industrial units and Maruti Suzuki’s manufacturing plant.

Bechraji is connected to Mahesana by a 45-km road. The new authority will ensure well-planned development and improved infrastructure in the area.