News Dated: 29 March 2008
Social activists Medha Patkar and Bhai Vaidya have submitted a letter to Divisional Commissioner Nitin Kareer demanding a CBI inquiry into the land acquired for the Lavasa resort township, 60 kms from the city.
Accompanied by villagers from the area who alleged fraudulent transactions, Patkar demanded that a committee should be appointed to conduct a detailed inquiry of all the transactions concerned with ultra modern township coming up on 9000 acres set in the backwaters of Varasgaon dam.
The plans which include captive mini-dams, helipads, ropeways and luxury hotels have seen acquisition of land from the villagers at merely Rs 500 per acre, said Patkar. “Most of the villagers have not got the compensation and those who have been issued cheques have bounced,’’ she added.
Uma Alekar from Mugaon said that she had no knowledge about her 300 acres taken away for the project. “The agents had a hand in this fraudulent transaction and there should be an inquiry,’’ she demanded. She has got no compensation for it. Other villagers who accompanied Patkar said that they were fleeced and forced into giving their lands.
Patkar, emphasising on the rehabilitation projects, told Kareer that it was essential to look into the rehabilitation policy as most of the project-affected were not given the necessary housing. The project-affected from Tata dam, Varasgaon, Pavana, Temghar as well as from Kiwale village and Phutanwadi where the Bharat Forge SEZ is to come up were present.
Social activists Medha Patkar and Bhai Vaidya have submitted a letter to Divisional Commissioner Nitin Kareer demanding a CBI inquiry into the land acquired for the Lavasa resort township, 60 kms from the city.
Accompanied by villagers from the area who alleged fraudulent transactions, Patkar demanded that a committee should be appointed to conduct a detailed inquiry of all the transactions concerned with ultra modern township coming up on 9000 acres set in the backwaters of Varasgaon dam.
The plans which include captive mini-dams, helipads, ropeways and luxury hotels have seen acquisition of land from the villagers at merely Rs 500 per acre, said Patkar. “Most of the villagers have not got the compensation and those who have been issued cheques have bounced,’’ she added.
Uma Alekar from Mugaon said that she had no knowledge about her 300 acres taken away for the project. “The agents had a hand in this fraudulent transaction and there should be an inquiry,’’ she demanded. She has got no compensation for it. Other villagers who accompanied Patkar said that they were fleeced and forced into giving their lands.
Patkar, emphasising on the rehabilitation projects, told Kareer that it was essential to look into the rehabilitation policy as most of the project-affected were not given the necessary housing. The project-affected from Tata dam, Varasgaon, Pavana, Temghar as well as from Kiwale village and Phutanwadi where the Bharat Forge SEZ is to come up were present.
While corporator Dr Siddharth Dhende who accompanied Patkar said that even widening of roads under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is likely to displace lot of slum dwellers and they should be rehabilitated in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. He also said that the cut off date of 1995 should not be applicable for rehabalitation of these slum dwellers.
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