ગુજરાતી
English
The government has suffered losses worth crores by converting agricultural land into non-agricultural land
How 45 lands were acquired before the ring road was built in Palanpur
The officials have put the government in a pit of Rs 200 crore
A complaint was made to the government about the scam in road construction
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, July 10, 2024 (Google translation from Gujarati)
Traffic jam at Aroma Highway Circle in Palanpur, the headquarters of Banaskantha district, is an old problem. People are stuck in traffic jams for hours on the highway circle. To solve the problem, the government approved the bypass and started land acquisition work. This question has been there for 40 thousand people of Palanpur for 15 years. 50 thousand vehicles are registered. 70 thousand vehicles are expected to pass here daily.
To reduce the traffic problem in Palanpur city, a project worth Rs. 300 crore has been started to build a bypass road for the national highway here. Land is being acquired to build the highway. The government has spent Rs. 80 crore for land compensation.
A 24 km long four-lane bypass is to be constructed around Palanpur city by the Road and Building Department. The government approved the proposal for land acquisition works for a railway overbridge, a bridge over a river and a west-bound bypass.
A notification was issued to acquire 60 to 100 meters of land for the bypass. When farmers opposed it, it was increased to 30 meters.
150 hectares of land was equal to 60 meters. Which is 30 meters, now 75 hectares (185 acres) of land is to be acquired. The prices of land related to the bypass highway have increased.
It takes away valuable land of farmers of 15 villages. 75 hectares of land will have to be acquired in the 24 km long bypass from Jagna to Khemana toll road in Palanpur.
Survey numbers of 16 villages were handed over to the Panchayat. Talaati called a meeting of farmers in the Panchayat and asked them to acquire the land and give it to the government. Survey numbers and village maps were issued for land acquisition.
The farmers protested because a large land was being acquired for Palanpur City Bypass. In which 50 farmers became landless. Therefore, land acquisition was done 30 meters. Mavji Loh, President of Kisan Sangh Banaskantha, protested.
Farmers are agitating against land acquisition. Opposing the land acquisition, they have given an application to the Collector and demanded adequate compensation to the farmers. If compensation was not to be given, then the same land was demanded in return.
The work was disrupted due to the protest of the farmers.
The Revenue Department issued a notification in February 2024 which laid down the rules regarding land acquisition and clearly stated in condition 3, there will be no change in registration or change in name. If yes, then the change will not be taken into account while evaluating the compensation.
Thus, the announcement and plan has been prepared which the officer knew when the land was barren.
There is 33 hectares of such land, in which corruption has been done by causing loss of crores of rupees to the government.
Land was demanded in exchange for this. Farmers will commit suicide.
The officials completed the work in 20 to 25 days, which would have taken 2 to 3 years in non-cultivation work. Some officers and leaders have taken the land in partnership.
Due to its non-cultivation, its price has increased by 4 to 10 times. So the government will have to pay compensation of 4 to 10 times.
After doing N, the remaining work was completed in 11 months. Now the compensation will be Rs 180 crore.
The project of 380 crores in 2022 which is currently Rs. 600 to Rs 700 crores. So now the question is whether this project will happen.
Land of villages was made barren
Land acquisition notices were issued for land acquisition in Jagna, Bhagal, Vasna, Bhavisna, Sagrosana, Vedancha, Angola, Khodla, Chadotar, Pakhinwa, Malana, Lunwa, Moriya, Delwara, Songadh demo in December 2023 and January 2024.
The demand for making the lands of this village non-agricultural did not come to the collector before the road construction plan was prepared. As soon as the map of the project was ready, suddenly requests started coming to make these lands barren.
Many rules have been violated by the collector.
In which 75 lands of these 15 villages have become barren at an abnormal pace.
The Road and Building Department prepared the project at a low cost and gave the estimate to the government. Which was Rs. It was like 80 crores. But overnight, due to the scam of non-agricultural land conversion, the compensation that was given in agricultural land has been increased from 200 to 250 crores.
Land N A Rs. 50 crores are believed to have been collected from farmers. In which Rs. 50 crores are believed to have been corrupted. Government Rs. 200 crores have been embezzled by the Collector’s office.
Thus, there have been massive scams in the land earmarked for priority. Farmers will be given 4 times the amount. In which some officials and political figures are believed to be involved.
The government has demanded an investigation into the files of one year. An investigation has been demanded as to how the secret plan of the Path Nirman Department suddenly reached the farmers.
Development map in controversy
The development map of Palanpur city is being made for 10 years. It was sent to the government for approval thrice. Gandhinagar Development Commissioner is sending it back. Complaints of tampering in DP Road were being received. 80 objections were received. The farmers of Ganeshpura created such a ruckus at the Municipal Corporation office on Tuesday and also filed a petition.
DP road was rejected
proposed. There were complaints of irregularities. The result was that some officials of BJP and Nagar Palika submitted a demand to the Chief Minister to cancel the development map. The development map should have been approved in 2014, it was not approved in 2024.
In 15 villages, the price per square meter is Rs. 1500 to 3500. If a bypass is built, the price can double. 50 thousand vehicles will pass through here daily which will not go to Palanpur, so the importance of this road will increase.
A survey is going on here for a month. Some farmers are still in dispute. The collector did not let it stand. Now to build a bridge, see how many underpasses are made for pedestrians to cross the road or for villagers to cross the road. According to an estimate, 20 underpasses and 3 flyovers can be built here. Rainwater drains will have to be made. 50 small drains or pipes have to be laid to prevent waterlogging in the farmers’ fields.
Now Rs. 1000 for 24 km road. A tender of Rs 300 crore will be issued.
Now orders will be given to cut trees on a large scale here.
The government has neither announced any compensation nor made any payment. But Rs 160 crore will be given for 115 survey numbers here. Rs 80 crore on average per survey number. Rs 55 lakh is likely to be paid. An average of Rs 2 crore is being estimated for 45 non-agricultural survey numbers.
According to the rules, any highway or road should be 150 to 200 meters wide. But at some places in Palanpur, that width is more. It is believed that the lands have been kept open for fraud.
The chain of land scam is connecting from Palanpur to Gandhinagar Road and Building and Revenue Department.
Some unknown people have already bought cheap land here. Then the announcement was issued. Which will fetch a lot of value when the road is built. Even if the road is built, it will be sold at commercial price.
Due to the delay in issuing the notification, large scale land deals have been done here. Therefore, the government should investigate.
Raj Heat and Jaan Heat are not visible here. More interest has been seen from the officers and politicians. Therefore, the government should investigate the land of this route. There are 115 survey numbers in 25 km. 60 percent of that land has already been taken.
Starting from Malana, villages like Palanpul, Songadh, Chodotar, Bhavisna, Vasna, Delwara have got big deals.
Responsible Officer
Collector Varun Kumar Barnwal
Resident Additional Collector C.P. Patel
Superintending Engineer of Mehsana B.M. Chauhan
Executive Engineer Chaudhary
Deputy Executive Engineer Kalpesh Chaudhary
Provincial Officer K.P. Chaudhary Deputy Secretary Gandhinagar (Google translation from Gujarati)
