MP tonsures head to support agitating residents

Nagpur, Jun 25 (UNI) Shiv Sena MP Prakash Jadhav today tonsured his head to express solidarity with residents of a village on the outskirts of the city, agitating for a better price for their land being acquired for the proposed Multi-Modal International Air Passenger and Cargo Hub at Nagpur (MIHAN) project here.

Mr Jadhav had his hair head shaven off at village Shivangaon in the presence of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ramdas Kadam and legislator Deepak Sawant.

Over 250 families living in Shivangaon are demanding that they be paid at prevailing market rates for their land. The government has offered them a rate of just over Rs two lakh per acre, but the residents are not happy as the price of the land in the vicinity has skyrocketed since the MIHAN project was launched. In one recent deal, a piece of land about five km from Shivangaon fetched a whopping Rs 2.55 crore per acre. The residents are also demanding that the displaced families be rehabilitated and that one member from each of them be given a government job.

Earlier, addressing the residents, Mr Kadam said Shiv Sena would stall the proceedings in both the Houses of the State Legislature to demand justice for the affected residents.

Mr Kadam demanded that the government pay Rs 35 lakh per acre for the land in Shivangaon.

Addressing the residents, Mr Jadhav said the government must pay at least Rs 90 lakh for what he described as extremely fertile agricultural land.

Mr Jadhav, who represents Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, assured the residents that he would raise the issue in the Parliament.

UNI