Akhada chief gives government 10 days to sort out land issue

NASHIK: Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad mahant Gyandas Maharaj on Sunday set a 10-day deadline for the government to finalise land for Sadhugram.
Gyandas Maharaj, who is in the city on a three-day tour, visited the Sadhugram at Tapovan and the two proposed locations for the facility to host the sadhus with the government officials. He gave his consent to reserve these land for developing Sadhugram in future and gave the officials 10 days to finalise the land.He added that the sadhus this time would not use the 2003 stampede stretch on Shahi Marg and would consider an alternate route.
He visited the Sadhugram at Tapovan, where 54 acres of land have been reserved for Sadhugram and 163 acres have been proposed. He also saw the traditonal Shahi Marg, the proposed Shahi Marg and the two proposed lands for Sadhugram at MERI in the presence of district collector Vilas Patil, Kumbh Mela officer Mahesh Patil, police commissioner Kulwant Kumar Sarangal, assistant commissioner of police Pankaj Dahane, municipal commissioner Praveen Gedam and city engineer Sunil Khune.
"At present, we have around 100 acres of land. They will give us 300 acres. But we don't want to trouble the farmers. They should be kept happy with whatever work is to be done for Kumbh," said Mahant Gyandas. Mayor Ashok Murtadak and BJP MLA Balasaheb Sanap joined him at the river banks.
About the Shahi Marg, he said, "We will not use the spot where the mishap took place on Shahi Marg during the last Kumbh. We will use the route that is safe. The alternative route of Ganeshwadi may be considered. I will discuss with the akhadas and then take the decision."
He asked the administration to first try for the land at Tapovan for Sadhugram and if it was difficult, then the land at MERI could be used for the facility to host the sadhus. He suggested that the 150 acres of land of MERI could be used for a permanent Sadhugram in future. He asked the officials to let him know about it in 10 days. "Begin the work for the next Kumbh from now onwards," he told them.
About Trimbakeshwar, he said, "Sagaranandji Saraswati is looking after Trimbakeshwar. It is a different management there."
Voices -
We did not get any formal notice as yet, only intimation. We have around one acre land where we do horticulture. For the sadhugram, gravel and other material are used that affects the fertile land. They said they will give compensation but have not declared the amount. We asked them to give the amount as per the new rule of ready reckoner. We had asked them to acquire the land permanently but they said that they would need three years to do so. That is why we knocked the doors of the court.
- Shankar Kothule
We grow corn, wheat and flowers in our half acre land. We don't have any official confirmation about the amount but they said that they would give Rs 11 lakh per acre. They also told us that they had sent the notice but it has not yet reached us. We are ready to give the land but they should compensate well and rehabilitate us.
- Ramesh Thorat
We went to the High Court but the government could not reply to our questions and that is why they backed out. Our fertile lands will be destroyed and it will take us at least three years to bring it back to the original form. Farmers have spent on levelling the land, water facility, pipelines, electricity connections as well. We oppose even if they give us Rs 25 lakh as we have to spend Rs 15-20 lakh for repairing the land later.
- Madhukar Jejurkar
They are going to merge all the lands for creating one big land. Later we may have conflicts with our neighbours for the exact area of our lands. Nurseries, businessmen, shopkeepers are omitted, only farmers are targeted. They say this is no development zone but till the new development plan is made the old rule should be followed. How have they permitted construction in other places.
- Sadashiv Jejurkar
Family displaced
Sumita.sarkar@timesgroup.com
Nashik
A family that was earning its living by growing guavas in a land provided to them by the owner, has no place to go now and lives in the open at Tapovan. Their land will be used for the development of Sadhugram.
Babybai Ghuge, her four sons and their family has only half their house left with absolutely no protection from the chilly winters. The two acres of land on which they used to grow guavas is being used for Sadhugram.
Their house was half-demolished, 100 guava trees that gave them their daily living uprooted and their utensils smashed.
"The government officials want us to vacate the land. Where do we go? We were not notified. All of a sudden, they razed everything. We have been staying here for nearly 100 years. I am born and brought up here and got married here. Since two months we are in the open," said Babybai.
She said, "We have not been given any compensation. The owner of the land gave us half of his land for livelihood. He lives elsewhere and asked us not to vacate. But he has also not come to visit us."
The family said that they want at least some compensation but they had nowhere to go.
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Work of toilet blocks begin at Sadhugram
Sumita.sarkar@timesgroup.com
Nashik
Around 1000 toilet and bath are being constructed by a private company at Sadhugram but during his visit, Chief of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Gyandas Maharaj expressed his displeasure at the tent constructed there.
"We will remove the tent. We have started construction of 1,000 toilets here. As and when the tenders are floated, more toilets will be constructed. We have been told to construct 4,000-5,000 toilets," said Arun Kumar, manager of Lallooji and sons that is constructing the toilets here. "Toilets will also have to be constructed in the city and in the parking areas," he said.
He said that the two acre land that had been given to them by Laxminarayan Mandir will have toilets for the Kumbh period after which they will vacate the land.
Sources, however, said that the toilets may not be sufficient as the tenders for mobile toilets have to be floated as yet.