Govt to review salt farming lease with GHCL, identifies other violators

Rajkot: Nearly a month-long agitation by people of 30 villages in Rajula taluka of Amreli demanding non-renewal of salt farming lease of Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd (GHCL) and closure of ‘illegal’ shrimp farming on land leased for purpose of salt farming, is yielding results.
At least 200 people from the villages have been taking turns to sit on 24-hour fast before the Rajula mamlatdar’s office since past one month.

The Amreli district administration is evaluating the renewal proposal floated by GHCL on one hand and on the other has begun probe into the allegation of shrimp farming against 45 land lease holders and found 21 of them violating the lease norms.

Youngsters from the villages took to social media in a big way to campaign for their demand. Their aggressive campaign on social media and WhatsApp groups added momentum to the movement and kept the Amreli district administration on its toes.

The villagers are demanding that GHCL’s lease for salt farming not be renewed. They also want government to take action against those lease holders who they claimed have violated lease conditions by doing shrimp farming on land meant for salt farming.

Ajay Siyar, a resident of Victor village, who led the social media campaign, said, “We have created groups to update the information about our fight. Simultaneously, we have also posted details of violation on social networking sites like Facebook.”

Amreli district collector Oak Ayush Sanjeev told TOI, “We will take decision on renewal of GHCL’s lease. Meanwhile, we have probed other 45 names of small lease holders for salt production and found that 21 of the lease holders had breached the condition and were involved in shrimp farming. I have also asked for the fisheries department report before issuing notices to them.”

“There are people who have encroached upon government land or are in possession of more land than that allotted to them. They will be penalized accordingly,” he added.

Over three decades ago, the state government had granted multiple lease in different villages to GHCL for salt farming. But recently, when the lease expired, villagers asked the government not to renew the lease on the grounds that the company had stopped employing local people for salt farming.

Bhanabhai Gujaria, sarpanch of Pipavavdham village, said, “Earlier, over 5,000 people were employed by GHCL. But after modernization, since past couple of years, the company has terminated contracts of many employees. We are demanding that the salt pans be given to villagers on lease so that we can get employment.”

Congress MLA from Rajula Amrish Der too came out in support of the villagers. “I have raised this issue in the assembly and told government that these villagers have first right over the land and it should be allotted to them.” The Congress MLAs of nearby constituencies also have visited the agitating villagers over the past month in solidarity.