Villagers march towards CM residence over RIMS-2, stopped
Surendra Soren
Ranchi
Protests intensified on Thursday in Nagri, under Kanke block of Ranchi, against the proposed RIMS-2 (Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences-2) project, with hundreds of villagers, farmers, and members of tribal organisations taking to the streets to oppose the land acquisition.
Under the banner of the Nagri Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Samiti and various tribal groups, demonstrators marched towards the Chief Minister’s residence, demanding protection of their land. However, the march was halted by the administration near Kanke Block Chowk.
Raising slogans, the protesters clarified that they were not opposed to the construction of a major healthcare institution like RIMS-2, but objected to the use of fertile agricultural land for the project. They urged the government to instead select barren or non-agricultural land.
“The land in Nagri has been the backbone of our farming livelihood for generations. Hundreds of families depend on it,” protesters said, stressing that acquisition of such land would severely impact their sustenance.
Among their key demands, the agitators called for the cancellation of land acquisition for the project on fertile farmland and proposed that the hospital be built on government-owned or barren land.
The issue has been simmering ever since Nagri was identified as the project site. Locals claim that an earlier proposal to locate the project in Sukurhutu was dropped due to similar opposition, following which Nagri was chosen.
The Sangharsh Samiti reiterated that their movement is not against development but aimed at protecting their livelihoods and ancestral land.
The controversy has also gained political traction, with several opposition leaders, including former Chief Minister Champai Soren, expressing support for the farmers.
The proposed RIMS-2 project, envisioned as a modern super-speciality hospital and medical college in the state capital, has thus become a flashpoint between development goals and local livelihood concerns.
