Summary:
Rajkot: Nearly 1,300 farmers from 20 villages of Gir Somnath district have opposed laying of broad-gauge railway line between Kodinar and Somnath towns and submitted their objections to deputy collector in Veraval on Thursday.Junagadh MP Rajesh Chudasama claimed that after farmers’ protest the railways has suspended the land acquisition process.“On my request, the railways has suspended the land acquisition process. According to railways, nearly 206 hectare land of 20 villages was to be acquired.According to the villagers, their land was fertile and they were able to cultivate three crops a year. There is already a meter gauge line from Una-Kodinar to Veraval and we have requested railways to convert that line into broad gauge instead of acquiring land and laying new line here.”Farmers also raised fear of flooding during monsoon as railway line will be built at a certain height, which will also affect crop. We never demanded broad-gauge line and are not ready to give our land. The demanded that the project be dropped.The notification of land acquisition was published on 20th January in newspapers and farmers were asked to raise objection in 30 days.Railways had proposed the 27-km Kodinar-Somnath broad gauge railway line in September 2015 and sanctioned the fund of Rs 394 crore..