Rahul Gandhi listening to issues of farmers and locals in his constituency of Amethi. (Source: Twitter/OfficeofRG)
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited Amethi and met with farmers whose land had been acquired by the central government for widening the national highway.
Leading a delegation of 90 farmers, Gandhi met with the officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and apprised them of the issue. “Amethi mein logon ki zameen li ja rahi hai, sahi procedure follow nahi kiya ja raha hai, isi par NHAI se charcha hui. (People’s land are being acquired in Amethi, correct procedure is not being followed, we held discussion with NHAI on this issue),” said Gandhi after meeting with the officials.
Work for widening the NH 56 at Kathora Gram Sabha in Amethi’s Jagdishpur block started about a year ago and local farmers alleged that NHAI began demolishing their properties few days ago, without any talk of compensation for the same. According to local Congress leaders, the farmers had already given land for widening the highway. However, NHAI was also constructing a by-lane for parking trucks on both sides of the road in an area of around 200 m in Kathora, which is affecting about 100 families living in the area.
Meanwhile, responding to the allegations made by farmers and Rahul Gandhi about wrongfully demolition of properties by the NHAI, Minister for Road Transport Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said work in Amethi was already suspended during the UPA period. The minister said, “Good that Rahul ji is coming to us to put forward matter of land in Amethi, but the work was stopped during previous UPA regime.”
