Fear grips Ahmedabad residents: Nominal metro rail displacement compensation offered to "occupants"

By A Representative
A fresh fear has engulfed thousands of residents of Ahmedabad: The high-profile metro rail project, which was taken up a decade after it was supposed to have been launched, will not only displace them. They may not get compensation under the Land Acquisition Act (LAA), 2013, as "promised" by the Gujarat government's special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the project.
The reason, said a letter addressed to Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, is that a large number of those to be displaced, especially in the eastern part of the city, do not have valid documents of house ownership, but have been living on there without any hassles.
Written by Jatin Sheth, a senior human rights activist and convener, Nagrik Sashaktikaran Manch, the letter says, the state government's project developer, MEGA (Metro-link Express for Gandhinagar & Ahmedabad), proposes to give compensation under standards worked out by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), in which the "occupants" can receive less than the government calculated norm of value of land or real estate property, called jantri in Gujarat.
The jantri rate is known to be several times less than the existing market rate, and revised after a gap of several years. Based on the rate, stamp duty is supposed to be paid for any real estate deal.
According to Sheth's letter, the problem has arisen because, for decades, these people are staying as "occupants", and not as "owners" -- they had bought the property on a stamp paper of as low as Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 or Rs 100, Sheth says.
If the LAA, 2013 were to be applied, by equating these occupants with owners, they would have been entitled to get compensation which would be at least four times that of the prevailing market value of the real estate property, the letter suggests.
Most of them belonging to middle or lower middle class families, the "occupants" norm is proposed to be applied on land, house, shop or factory unit they own, Sheth says, insisting, "All of them should be given compensation under the LAA, 2013, as declared by MEGA."
Sheth further says, all those who are occupants of a real estate based on stamp paper, which used to be the case decades ago, should be declared as "occupants" so that they do not face any problem in future.
"What is most unfortunate is that, these occupants were not even allowed the offer of impact fee charged to legalize housing constructions", the letter says, adding, "Even their plea during the social impact assessment for the metro project was not heeded."
Pointing out that families living in the region -- Amraiwadi, Vastal, and Rabari Colony -- are having "sleepless nights", the letter wants the chief minister's intervention, saying, "Hope you can understand the plight of women and girls in this situation. They feel they would be pushed to the roads."

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog