Maharashtra
,
Igatpuri
,
Nashik
Published :
Sep 2016
|
Updated :
Maharashtra Government Completes Land Acquisition for Samruddhi Corridor, Farmers Allege Foul Play
Reported by
Prerna Chaurashe
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
160000
People affected
2016
Year started
8311
Land area affected
Households affected
160000
People Affected
2016
Year started
8311
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban
Ended
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban
Ended
1
Summary

In October 2016, then Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis proposed his ambitious dream project, the NagpurMumbai Expressway, popularly known as the Samruddhi Corridor. The expressway would connect 352 villages in 10 districts and reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur from 14 hours to eight hours. The project also aimed at setting up 24 smart cities at interchanges. The project has become a rallying cry for affected farmers. According to a report, the government had given three options to landowners. The first was to give their land under the land pooling scheme where the owners would get 25 per cent of the developed land and annuity for 10 years. The second option was to buy back their developed land after 10 years. The third option was of direct purchase, through a sale agreement with the government where the landowner would get 25 per cent above the compensation rate. But if the landowner chose neither option, his land would be forcefully acquired. Farmers from the 10 districts have come together to form the Samruddhi Mahamarg Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti. They say they have been misinformed about the compensation, alleging they were promised compensation under the LARR Act, 2013, while the land was acquired under the Maharashtra Highways Act, 1955. Due to this discrepancy, the farmers say they are unable to bargain for employment or subsistence allowance. It should be noted that under the Maharashtra Highways Act, the government can avoid the social impact assessment studies for the project and rehabilitation of the projectaffected people, which will help expedite the land acquisition process. In 2017, protests turned violent in Nashik village when officials visited with 600 police personnel to guard the land while measuring the area. Farmers claimed that the police carried out lathicharge against protesters and registered criminal cases against protesting youths. Despite the protests, in June 2019, the state government completed the land acquisition process. It released INR 6,000 crore as compensation for the 23,500 projectaffected people. The expressway is expected to be completed in 2021. As of 2020, 40 per cent of the work had been completed.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Demand for more compensation than promised

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Both

Forest and Non-Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

55335

Type of investment:

Revised Investment

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC)

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Construction Industry Development Board (Malaysia)

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Samruddhi Mahamarg Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Prerna Chaurashe


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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Demand for more compensation than promised

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

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