Private land acquisition hurdles in Maharashtra to hit deadlines

The Narendra Modi government’s Shinkansen bullet train project is threatening to go off the rails as conflicts over acquisition of private land persist in Maharashtra.

Ahead of the annual summit between Mr. Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on October 28-29, State officials have warned of an imminent delay in meeting the December 2018 deadline for completion of survey and acquisition. They say the progress is “saddening and disappointing.”

Time-bound schedule

Unless the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) implements an urgent time-bound schedule, the project is likely to miss its first deadline for acquisition of private plots, warns the latest status report submitted by the office of the Collector of Palghar.

The report, addressed to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary and Chief Project Officer of the NHSRCL, said nearly all of the 108 km of land needed was yet to be acquired via the private negotiation policy of the State. The land, spread over 73 villages in Palghar, Vasai, Talasari, Dahanu, Wada and Shahapur villages, is being blocked by villagers. “So far, the survey proceedings are complete only in 30 villages. This progress is disappointing and saddening,” said the Collector’s report, submitted on October 5.

An estimated 312 villages in Gujarat and Maharashtra will have to give up land for the ₹1.08 lakh crore project. Additionally, 7,974 plots belonging to the forest department and railways will have to be acquired in the two States. Mr. Modi, at a meeting with the Maharashtra Chief Secretary on August 25, set a deadline of December 2018 for completing the land survey and acquisition. However, the report of the District Collector now puts the onus on the NHSRCL to prepare a time-bound schedule if the deadline is to be met. “As per the deadline set by the honourable Prime Minister, it is necessary we complete the acquisition by December, 2018. For any delayed work to speed up, the NHSRCL will have to now put in place a time-bound schedule. Pending works with district collector could proceed only following that,” report reads.

NHSRCL officials refused to comment on the report but hinted at the political interference the project faces at the local level. The Joint Measurement Survey (JMS) has been completed in 50 villages so far in Maharashtra, while the compensation proceedings could take another two months to begin, they said. “It is a valid question to ask what is the interest of the people who are protesting, since their land is not all affected. Why are these people opposing development and at whose instructions, even though we have tried all social outreach, including opening of a NHSRCL hospital. This too has been forced to shut down as well,” said NHSRCL spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar, refusing to comment on the letter from the Palghar Collector.

Marking a milestone

Ironing out issues over the Shikansen bullet train project will be on the agenda next week as PM Modi heads to Tokyo for the annual summit with his Japanese counterpart. Both leaders have followed the project closely and are expected to mark the “milestone” reached with the first tranche of funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency — about ₹5,500 crore — being transferred at the end of September, according to an official involved in planning the visit. This fund will be used mainly for the construction of bridges along the rail route.

When asked about the land acquisition hurdles, the official said that while the Japanese government had seen the reports, it would leave it to the Indian side to sort the issue out. “Yes, land acquisition hurdles remain, but we trust that NHSRCL will resolve these issues at the earliest. As far as we know, the project is still on course and will not be further delayed by them. We will also have teams to ensure that the high standards we follow in Japan will also be enforced here,” the official told The Hindu.

The high-speed train, with a capacity for 750 passengers, will travel at speeds between 320 km per hour and 350 kmph and is expected to reduce travel time between Ahmedabad and Mumbai to three-and-a-half hours or less from the current eight hours. The project is expected to be completed in seven years. However, protests from tribal people and farmers have halted geotechnical investigations, hydrological surveys and utility mapping procedures.

The Bhumi Adhikar Andolan and Shoshit Jan Andolan, organisations based out of Maharashtra and Gujarat, have written to the National Human Rights Commission demanding an investigation into the “illegal” detention of activists during protests earlier this year.