The Maharashtra government late Friday paused the land acquisition process for the proposed Gadchiroli airport after thousands of farmers staged a sit-down protest at the district headquarters in Gadchiroli. Minister of State (MoS) and co-guardian minister Ashish Jaiswal held talks with a delegation of protesters for nearly five hours, both at the protest site and the collector's office, before reaching a consensus that acquisition will be temporarily halted until Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis makes a decision.
Massive Farmer Protest
The agitation, which began on Thursday outside the district collector's office, saw over 6,000 farmers from across the district join a large march on Friday. They protested against the acquisition of fertile agricultural land for the airport project, the proposed Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) projects in the Chamorshi area, and mining activities. Farmers demanded that no fertile agricultural land in Gadchiroli taluka be acquired for the airport and sought the cancellation of the ongoing MIDC land acquisition spanning 14 villages in the Bhendala area and 13 villages in the Jayrampur area. They also demanded immediate measures to address the wild elephant menace.
Government's Response
Jaiswal stated, "The government respects the sentiments of the people. It is not the government's position to force anything on anyone. CM Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear that a balance between development and public interest will be maintained."
Details of Land Acquisition
The state government, through a Government Resolution (GR) dated May 12, granted administrative and financial approval of Rs 104 crore for acquiring 311.81 hectares of government, private, and forest land across four villages – Shirapurchak, Guruwala, Hirapur, and Rakhi – for the proposed airport. Separately, MIDC is pursuing the acquisition of nearly 3,000 hectares across 14 villages in Chamorshi tehsil for a proposed steel plant by JSW Group and the Konsari integrated steel and iron ore processing complex by Lloyds Metals.
Extension for Objections
Regarding the MIDC acquisition, Jaiswal said that farmers and affected citizens would be given a 90-day extension to file objections and suggestions under the acquisition notification. MLA Dr. Milind Narote, in-charge district collector Nitin Gavande, and district superintendent of police M. Ramesh were present during the discussions.
