Says govt won't move ahead in Mandal-Becharaji project against their wish.
Chief minister Narendra Modi’s assurance to agitating farmers that no action will be taken on Mandal-Becharaji Special Investment Region (SIR) without their consent seems to have calmed them. They are calling it a ‘victory of people’s movement’!
A delegation of 100 farmers from 44 affected villages met the CM on Thursday expressing their apprehensions about the SIR project. Office-bearers of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and leaders of Ahmedabad and Surendranagar district BJP units were part of the delegation. And they did not return empty-handed. They got an assurance from the chief minister that his government would not go against their wish.
Apart from Modi, finance minister Nitin Patel, panchayat minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and energy & petrochemicals minister Saurabh Patel were present at the meeting. State revenue minister Anandi Patel remained conspicuous by her absence. Ironically, she is one of the members of a high-level committee of four cabinet ministers constituted by the CM to solve the issue of SIR and farmers’ protest.
The CM had asked the committee, comprising Nitin Patel, Anandi Patel, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Saurabh Patel, to consider all technical aspects of the SIR keeping in view the farmers’ representation and their feelings and submit its report by August 15 this year.
While interacting with the farmers at the meeting, Modi said that the state government is approaching their problems with an open mind. He said that his government had decided to develop Mandal-Becharaji region as SIR as it was lagging in industrial and agricultural development. Both the talukas have been brought under the irrigation facility with the Narmada waters. He added that the state government has also framed progressive policies for industrial and agricultural development alongside rural development. “The government is committed to consider all aspects of industrial development and honour the feelings of the farmers, with appropriate and reasonable solution, as early as possible,” said Modi.
He assured the delegation that the state government would not take any action in case of the SIR without the consent of the farmers. He suggested that only four representatives of farmers from the 44 villages and five leaders of Kisan Sangh could present their case before the high-level committee.
Modi also urged the members of the farmers’ delegation to have faith in the government and be wary of vested interests busy spreading rumours to mislead farmers to implement their political agenda.
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