Farmers refuse to part with land for Pune airport, threaten agitation

Pune, December 26: They are the reluctant inheritors of wealth. Reluctant, not because they don’t want the money, but they don’t want it at the cost of one thing they cherish as much as their lives — their farm land which is under threat of being acquired for the proposed new international airport at Chakan.

Stop at Shiroli-Chandoos villages in Khed taluka of Pune district and the fear and uncertainty over the likely loss of inherited farm land and their known way of living comes across loud and clear. Unlike in some other villages, also in Khed taluka, where land is being acquired quite peacefully and with full support of the farmers for Bharat Forge’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ), snuffing out the agrarian way of living is not going to be easy here.

Bhivraj Dhavale (48), a farmer in Shiroli who along with his brothers own 15 acres, is a disturbed man. These days, he has another job. Along with other villagers, he keeps vigil at the local barber shop, on the look out for any Government officer who might come down to begin the land acquisition process.

Their decision not to vacate the land has been conveyed to the tehsil office and they have threatened to agitate if the authorities proceed regardless. With 2,351 hectares to be acquired from seven villages in Chakan for the proposed airport, the villagers are an aggrieved lot and are already in protest mode. They know about Nandigram and know what farmers can achieve. Meanwhile, the countdown has started for these farmers as the MIDC, on behalf of the state government, has issued a notice to begin the land acquisition procedure.

Unlike in the case of the SEZ where only uncultivable land is being acquired, the farmers fear there will be no such consideration in the case of the proposed greenfield airport, work for which is expected to commence in 2010-11and which is scheduled to be operational by 2016.

When contacted, MIDC CEO Rajiv Jalota said that although MIDC has notified the land for acquisition, cultivable land will not be acquired. “It’s up to the district officers now to do the talking,” he said. According to Khed SDO, Gajanan Patil, the staff is yet to meet the people and talk to them.

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