Gandhinagar, Sep 20 (IANS): Veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela in a letter to Union Surface and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has requested to review the Bharat Mala project Green Expressway passing through North Gujarat. Farmers are opposed to the road plan because fertile land will be acquired instead of the barren land.

Vaghela said, "Farmers approached me and submitted that land survey numbers originally shown for the land acquisition in GPS maps of the project have not been incorporated. Officers are misleading and wrong survey numbers have been stated for the land acquisition, may be under the political, religious or social pressure."

He further stated in the letter that "the original proposed was a straight highway, it would have not required fertile agricultural land and would not affect a large number of farmers. But with changes in design on ground, now fertile land will be acquired." In the larger interest of farmers and for smooth implementation and execution of the Green Expressway, Vaghela requested Gadkari to personally look into the issue to ensure that the original design was implemented.

Farmers in Gandhinagar, Mehsana or Tharad in Banaskantha are opposing the project because fertile land is going to be acquired, on which they are tilling three crops in a year, their livelihood is dependent on the agriculture income, the compensation amount will not be enough to buy equal piece of land because agriculture land prices have shoot up in Gujarat.