Most Migrant Workers not ready to part with their Land with Army
The Chakrapani Vasahat, located along the Nashik-Pune highway, is a heavily populated area where migrant workers have constructed houses on plots measuring 500 to 2,000 sq ft. Radhabai Kondiba Devkar, an 80-year-old farmer, said, “Our forefathers had agricultural land in the Bopkhel village. The defence authorities acquired it when the Ammunition Factory of Khadki was established. They also bought land in Bhosari, where we had a 52-acre plot. At that time, there was no Dighi magazine depot here; it came up much later.”
Farmers who may lose land due to the no development zone (red zone) in Bhosari, are willing to give up if compensated adequately. But most of the migrant workers are not ready to part with their land.
Another farmer, Janabai Devkar, said her family now has only 15 acres of land near the depot. “Earlier, we used to grow bajra, jowar and other kharif crops. But we stopped farming eight years ago because we know that this land is under the red zone. We do not want to invest in land which is likely to be acquired,” she said. Devkar’s son Nilesh said the defence authorities should either acquire the land or remove the zone restriction. “If they acquire the land, we will get compensation and can buy land elsewhere or start a new business. We do not want this land to remain unproductive. This land is about a kilometer from the Nashik-Pune highway but it cannot be sold as there are few takers. Nor can we resume farming as it requires investment and infrastructure which is not allowed in the red zone,” he said.
Shivaji Nimbalkar, a resident of Ganraj colony, is among those who bought small plots of land here. “I constructed a house here three years ago using the entire savings of my life. We are living in uncertainty and are worried that our house will be demolished.” Nimbalkar said that many migrants bought land here since they got it cheap and it was close to their place of work. These people have proper 7/12 extracts showing their ownership of land. The Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation (PCMC) has given them facilities like drinking water, roads, streetlights and underground drainage. “We pay property tax and electricity bills regularly. The sale deeds should not have been registered if this land was to be acquired for defence purpose,” he felt.
A visit to the area also revealed that people were constructing houses in Chakrapani Vasahat despite knowing that this area lies in the no-development zone. Dilip Kudale, co-ordinator, engineering department, PCMC said, “Constructions are banned in red zone area. People are advised not to buy land or houses in areas here. The PCMC may have provided basic facilities to the people on humanitarian grounds. Besides, it also has the right to collect property tax from construction which comes up in the municipal limits. But just paying property tax does not make their constructions authorised.”
Dnyandev Baburao Khose, a migrant residing in Chakrapani Vasahat said, “I bought a piece of land in 1988 and constructed a house. I had migrated here in search of a job but started a shop here. The Army had earlier tried to put up pillars here to demarcate the no-development zone but abandoned it after the Supreme Court verdict went against them. As of now, there is no demarcation showing the zone. If the Army wants to acquire this land then we should be compensated adequately.”
Barku Kurkute, another local resident, said that he sold his 2.5 acre ancestral land in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district and bought a plot for constructing a house here 2 years ago. Satish Haribhudighe and Raju Hiwrale, other residents who also have built houses said they cannot be displaced since they have 7/12 extracts proving land ownership. “We were not stopped by the defence authorities or the PCMC or the state government when we bought land and constructed our houses.”
Khose, Hiwrale and Kurkute refuted reports that a large number of people in this area have started selling their houses at a very low price because of panic. “A majority of people here are migrants. Each of us owns just one house. If we sell our houses at low prices we will not be able to buy houses elsewhere due to higher prices prevalent in other areas of Pimpri Chinchwad. Moreover, who will risk buying a house which could be demolished later”
Subash Khade, who heads the red zone action committee, said, “Around a lakh people reside in areas which lie within 1,145 meter radius of the Dighi magazine depot in Bhosari. Most of them are migrants. The defence authorities should give them equal land in College of Military Engineering (CME) area which is just a kilometre away and give monetary compensation as per the market price.”
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