82 farmers ready to sell land for AIIMS project

vinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, January 20

The Manethi panchayat’s move to provide private land for the AIIMS project has started bearing fruit with 82 villagers coming forward to sell their land for the project in the past two days. They have submitted affidavits to the Revenue Department giving their consent.

During the general body of the panchayat on Saturday, villagers agreed to sell their land to the government at the collector rate, saying the project was vital for the region as it would ensure ultra-modern healthcare facilities and usher in a new era of development.

“The AIIMS project needs at least 200 acres while 82 farmers have offered more than 80 acres for the project and many others are preparing affidavits. Our village has more than 1,000 acres of private land and most farmers are ready to sell their land for betterment of the region,” said Sheotaz Singh, Manethi sarpanch and AIIMS Sangharsh Samiti chief.

He said the samiti would carry out a door-to-door contact programme in the village to motivate farmers to submit their affidavits at the earliest so that the government could initiate the process of executing the project without any further delay.

“Revenue and land record officials came to the village on Sunday and received 62 affidavits submitted by villagers. Twenty more farmers approached the authorities today and filed their affidavits,” he stated.

Manethi residents had to decide to sell their land following submission of a report by the Forest Advisory Committee of the Centre that the proposed 224 acres provided by the panchayat was non-specific as it fell under the Aravalli Plantation Zone, where construction was not allowed.

Congress spokesman Ved Prakash Vidrohi accused the government of deliberately delaying the project by asking farmers to sell their land at the collector rate instead of acquiring the land.

“The government knows that someone will object and refuse to provide land as the market rate is four times the collector rate. If it happens, the project’s fate will hang in the balance,” he said.