Farmers to protest Gujarat government move to "hand over" 28,000 ha for proposed Dholera Smart City

Farmers of Dholera SIR region

By A Representative
Opposition to the Gujarat government decision to “hand over” 28,503 hectares (ha) of land to the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by it – Dholera Special Investment Region Development Authority (DSIRDA) – for developing Smart City in the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) is all set to raise its head.
Plans have been worked out to begin a padyatra protest over several days across the Dholera SIR, which is situated about 90 kilometres south of Ahmedabad, along the Gulf of Khambhat.
A statement issued by the Bhal Bachao Andolan, which operates under the umbrella of the land rights movement, Jameen Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (JAAG), which is leading the protest, says that the villagers have decided to “call on the Ahmedabad district collector to press for their demand” not to hand over the land to the SPV.
“The people of the 22 villages comprising the proposed Dholera SIR are angry at the games that the Gujarat government is playing with them”, says JAAG, adding, “The people are very angry that the government has, without any consultation with the villagers, taken a decision to sell 28,000 ha of land at Rs. 600 per sq metres rate to SVP for infrastructure development.”
Significantly, the move follows farmers in the Dholera region getting notices to hand over 50 per cent of land in the name of infrastructure, citing the town planning law, to be applied in the Dholera SIR region.
“The other serious issue is of decommanding of the earlier recommanded area from the Narmada Irrigation Project”, the statement points out, adding, the consultations should be held after the formation of “land kacheris.”
“In order to press with their demands for recommanding the decommanded zone, and holding ‘land kacheris’, the people of DSIR area have decided to take out a padyatra (foot march) from village Bavaliary.
The padyatra, to be held over a period of six days, will pass through Sandhida, Dholera and Ambali on the first day; Pipli and Moti Boru villages on the second day; Varana, Vataman, Ganol and Simej on the third day; Ambareli, Dholka, Chaloda and Badarkha on the fourth day; Bhat, Visalpur, and Sarkhej on the fifth day; and it would conclude on the fourth day, reaching the collector's office, Ahmedabad via Ashtram Road.
“The padyatra will end on November 3, 2015 when a memorandum will be submitted to clear farmers' land titles and promulgate land records”, the statement says.
The decision to hand over 28,503 ha of land to the DSIRDA was announced following a Cabinet meeting in September-end, where the Gujarat government claimed, the land that would be handed over belongs to the state.
"Gujarat government has now become the largest stake- holder in the company. As we are giving our land at Rs 600 per sq meter, state government's stake stands at 51 per cent," said Cabinet minister Nitin Patel announced following the Cabinet meeting.
Though Patel refused to divulge details, an official is said to have told reporters that 28,500 ha of land would be handed over at the coast of Rs 17,000 crore.
Dholera SIR, spread over 920 sq km, is proposed to be developed as one of the key business destinations to be developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
So far, investors have refused to come and buy up any land, despite efforts by the Gujarat government through Vibrant Gujarat business summits.

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

India 'violating international law obligations' over Israel ties: UN rapporteur

By A Representative Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Why Tamil Nadu, Periyar, and the Dravidian model aren't just regional phenomena

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The election campaign in Tamil Nadu this season is strikingly different. The alliance led by the DMK is consistently referred to as the “ DMK alliance ,” not the “INDIA alliance.” This distinction is unsurprising given the state’s history: Tamil Nadu remains the only state to decisively reject “national” parties. The AIADMK’s surrender to the BJP after J. Jayalalithaa ’s death represents, in many ways, a betrayal of the politics of Tamil identity—an identity Periyar envisioned as Dravidian, not narrowly Tamil.

Chromatographies of the self: Gender, labour, and resistance in Deepti Kushwah's verse

By Ravi Ranjan* Any sensitive reader of contemporary Hindi poetry will find it impossible to overlook the eight poems by Deepti Kushwah recently published in Samalochan . This suite—comprising works such as ‘Ekākelī ābha’ (A Solitary Radiance), ‘Praśna mem camaktā huā’ (Glowing in the Question), and ‘Ek ankahī tapis’ (An Unspoken Heat)—constructs a multidimensional collage where colour transcends mere visual experience.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Search This Blog