Shiv Sena legislator, MP support tillers

NASHIK: Leaders from the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance themselves do not seem keen on getting land for the government's flagship project - the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi highway in Sinnar and Igatpuri talukas.
Sena MLA Rajabhau Vaze and MP Hemant Godse have openly opposed the project, while district guardian minister Girish Mahajan (BJP) has not conducted any meetings regarding the project so far.
About 97km of the 800-km highway passes through Sinnar and Igatpuri talukas and will have two nodes (centres for development) for housing business and industries.The farmers whose land will be taken up for the project will be given proportionate land in the nodes.
"How can we oppose the sentiments of farmers who do not part with their land? The history of rehabilitation of the government is not very good and hence the farmers are against the project," said Vaze, Sena MLA from Sinnar taluka.
He added that land holding in the taluka is very small and farmers are in dilemma. "The government promises 25% of the land surrendered. Since the land holding is very small, the 25% share will be very little for the families," Vaze said.
Godse has been taking meetings of the farmers voicing their opposition to the project. "The farmers who gave land for military projects, dams, national highways earlier have not get fair treatment. Many did not get project-affected person certificates even 40 years after land acquisition or nor employment. How will the farmers believe the government now?" Godse said.
He added that it would be a better idea to expand the existing 106-km road than to construct the new road, which will affect at least 3,500 farmers in the region.
The administration pointed out that it was not possible to widen the existing roads. "Technically, they were designed for 60 kmph ride and can handle vehicle speed of 80 kmph at the most. For 150 kmph speed, the section passing through Nashik would require construction of over 200 bridges and bypasses. This is neither feasible nor cost-effective," the administration said.
Mahajan, in the meantime, has not called any meeting nor met the farmers upset with the project. Phone calls to Mahajan were not answered and text messages sent to him also did not evoke any response till the time of going to the press.