Surendra Soren
Ranchi
Members of the Nagri Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Samiti staged a one-day protest outside Raj Bhavan on Saturday, demanding the cancellation of the proposed acquisition of agricultural land for the RIMS-2 project. The protesters also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor.
The demonstration was attended by former minister Dev Kumar Dhan, Adivasi Jan Parishad state vice-president and Bharat Adivasi Party leader Prem Shahi Munda, along with social activists and villagers from the Nagri area.
Addressing the gathering, the speakers said they were not opposed to the RIMS-2 project or development but objected to the acquisition of fertile agricultural land. They urged the government to identify alternative government land for the proposed medical institute to protect farmers’ livelihoods.
The protesters alleged that the land acquisition process was being pursued without the consent of the Gram Sabha in a Fifth Schedule area. They claimed that provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and the Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act were not being followed.
The committee demanded the immediate cancellation of the proposed land acquisition in Nagri and called for the protection of agricultural land. It warned that the agitation would be intensified across the state if the government failed to address their concerns.
The memorandum also stated that villagers have been protesting since 2012 to protect their ancestral farmland through democratic means.
Among those present at the protest were Sita Toppo, Vikas Tirkey, Sehina Lakra, Prakash Munda, Shiva Kachhap, Ajay Toppo, Rajesh Linda, Parvati Hembram, Ramesh Oraon, Shiv Tahal Nayak, Akash Tirkey and Rahul Tirkey.
