MSRDC’s 500 men to clear landowners’ doubts

To clear doubts and bring in transparency, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has formed a communication unit comprising 500 officials, who explain and convince landowners and farmers, whose land is to be pooled for the proposed 710-km-long Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway.

K.P. Magar, executive engineer, MSRDC, said the landowners and farmers, whose land will be pooled for the Expressway don’t know where to get proper information. “Farmers are getting information through various sources and there is every possibility of someone with vested interests spreading wrong information. It is not possible for the traditional land and estate department to handle it where such huge land acquisition is involved,” he said.

Around 22,000 hectares will be required for construction of the E-way between Bhiwandi and Nagpur. The corridor will pass through 350 villages from 27 talukas where non-cultivable landowners will get developed plot of 25 per cent of the area given up by them. Those with irrigated or cultivable land, will get developed plot of 30 per cent of the land given up by them. “The team of around 500 officials also involves a number of people appointed on contract basis and their sole motto would be to convey first hand information to the stake holders,” Mr Magar said.

Scores of farmers from Shahapur district, Wardha and Ahmednagar are unwilling to give up their land for the project. “The communication unit officials will explain to them what the state government is offering in exchange of their land,” Mr Magar explained.

The farmers who give up land for the E-way would be made equal partner in the project. The state also plans to return a portion of the developed land to farmers after the project is completed. Several farmers and landowners have also demanded cash in exchange of their developed land.