SURAT, Nov 15: The Surat Shehri Sankool Khedut Mandal (SSSKM), a body of villagers residing within Surat Urban Development Authority limits, will organise a protest rally on December 7 against the SUDA for ``snatching away'' their land.The SSSKM said in a release issued here on Monday that SUDA is yet to fulfil its promise of de-reserving some parts of land it had reserved under the revised development plan. The SUDA had reserved thousands of acres of land under its revised development plan.
The Khedut Mandal had held several agitations and consultations with the urban development body in the past over the issue of land reservation. However, in all cases the agitations were either called-off after assurances of a solution or the village leaders were unable to sustain it.
Representatives of several villages met in the city's outskirts recently to chalk out the agitation plans, the release said. The release said the villagers had welcomed the government's decision to thoroughly check the details of all 20 aspirants who wish to make use of the reserved land. But the government is yet to finalise an equal treatment scheme for all villages of the four talukas that come under SUDA reservation.
The SSSKM leaders also demanded that in case of reservation, all 131 villages within SUDA limits should be equally treated and developed. They also demanded higher rates for the land that the government wished to acquire.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.