Mumbai: 12 bullet points to make high-speed train a reality

Palghar seems to have hit the brakes on the bullet train project yet again with political parties allegedly turning villagers against the project So far the authorities have spared neither money nor effort in their attempts to acquire land but it seems they have not tried the most basic approach directly approaching land owners and clearing their doubtsThe Palghar collectors office has now issued a 12point letter to bullet train authorities to take a more direct and personal approach while wooing the land owners like the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation MSRDC had done for the MumbaiNagpur Samruddhi ExpresswayThe problemVillagers have refused to part with their to give up their land amid rumours that they will be displaced from their homes altogether The bullet train will pass through 73 villages in Palghar but the measurement survey has only been completed in 30 of these hamlets The remaining 43 villages have not allowed officials to survey the land since June sending the entire project offtrackThe bullet train team had made some headway with villagers after building them medical centres and schoolsThis paper had reported in August and September that the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited NHSRCL had managed to win some villagers over by offering to provide longpending facilities such as medical centres schools and regular water supply mdash this is in addition to compensating them with up to four or five times the value of the land But despite putting in so much money and effort the NHSRCL has not won the locals confidenceSources said this was because political parties and activists with vested interests were spreading rumours and pitting the locals against the bullet train project MNS leader Raj Thackeray has allegedly warned the villagers against giving any land to the bullet train team and his party has even threatened and manhandled senior officialsYes There has been a lot of mischief happening at the local level and we feel that this may delay the ambitious project It is important to note that most of the landowners who will be affected are talking to us directly and do not seem to have a problem It is the other villagers who dont own land who are floating stories and creating confusion Much of the protest and opposition has a political flavour which I do not want to get into said a local NHSRCL officialThe solutionThe local collectors office recently issued a 12point letter midday has a copy to NHSRCL suggesting that the project could pick up momentum if a proper team of officials is placed on the field to clear any questions the villagers may have coordinate with various agencies and offices and follow up on the projectThe collectors office cited the MumbaiNagpur Samruddhi Expressway for which the MSRDC acquired land by conducting regular field visits and inteactions with local officials and land owners leaving the farmers with completely satisfied with no doubtsThe letter further stated However it is observed that NHSRCL is fully dependent on an agency appointed by your office The said agency has total staff of 12 community representatives two talathis one circle officer two associate consultants and two typists The NHSRCL officials are only of supervisory category This matter needs serious attention at the earliest The letter also added that the project needs to rope in a PR agency to combat the rumours floated by activists and political parties who are against the bullet trainWhile Dhananjay Kumar NHSRCLs official spokesperson refused to comment Dahanu Mayor Bharat Rajput said it was now for the local government to step in and conduct facetoface meetings with the projectaffected people PAPs directly It is important to take the villagers into confidence in order to take the project ahead As far as I know there are superficial elements that are trying to destabilise the whole thingRumourbustingAddressing rumours that the villagers would be displaced and all their land taken an NHSRCL official said We do not require much land since the railway line is 15 m high up on a viaduct Only 175 m or 60 feet of land is required to put in the pillars This 60foot stretch will have a service road below for maintenance of trains This service road will become a public road and the villagers will be able to use itCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates