He also flagged the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized industries, particularly the ceramic sector in Morbi, saying businesses were in crisis and employment opportunities for young people in Rajkot and the wider Saurashtra region were shrinking.
Higher compensation for land under transmission lines
On power transmission lines, Surjewala said the Congress supported Gujarat’s ambition to become a major solar power hub but opposed a system in which companies benefited at the expense of farmers whose land was affected.
Referring to a transmission line running from Khavda in Kutch to Halvad in Morbi, he alleged that farmers were receiving inadequate compensation for land used for tower installations and land beneath transmission lines.
He demanded compensation equivalent to 400 per cent of the land’s value for areas used to install towers and 100 per cent of the value for land beneath transmission lines.
He also sought an annual payment of Rs 30,000 to affected farmers for 25 years, arguing that restrictions on land beneath transmission lines could prevent construction and other activities, reducing its economic value.
Citing an example from Haryana during a Congress government, Surjewala said farmers had been entitled to annual payments for a specified period in addition to compensation for acquired land. Such payments, he said, recognised the long-term impact of land acquisition on farmers and their families.
With PTI inputs
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