Agitating Gujarat farmers reject Nirma’s proposal

GANDHINAGAR - Farmers agitating against the cement plant being built by detergent maker Nirma in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district Friday declined the company’s proposal to surrender 46 hectares of the 268 hectares allotted to it by the government, in a bid to resolve the issue.

The agitating farmers of Mahuva village in the district led by BJP legislator Kanubhai Kalsaria after a meeting announced their decision not to accept the proposal the corporate major made before the state high court.

A spokesman of the Shree Mahuva Bhandara Khetiwadi Paryavaran Bachao Samiti said that the allotment of land to the company by the state government was a violation of a 2002 order of the high court. The committee has already approached the high court for cancellation of the land allotment.

The agitating farmers have contended that 222 hectares of these 268 hectares were covered by a water body, which came into existence after their prolonged efforts and creation of check dams, which also helped to contain salinity ingress and helped greening the area. The farmers have submitted satellite images from the National Remote Sensing Agency to support their claim.

The corporate major Nirma has already surrendered 54 hectares of land and has offered to return another 46 hectares to resolve the issue.

The matter is expected to come up before the high court April 12.