Beed Farmers Allege Pressure, Intimidation Over Land Access & Compensation For Renewable Energy Projects

Beed: Activists of the Shetkari Hakk Morcha (Farmers’ Rights Front) staged a protest in front of the Beed Collectorate on Monday, alleging that the revenue and police administration was acting under pressure from wind energy and solar power companies to facilitate access to agricultural land.

The protesters raised slogans against the revenue and police departments, alleging that farmers were being pressured to make their land available for renewable energy projects without their consent and without ensuring adequate compensation or completing the required legal procedures.

According to the protesters, project equipment and material were being transported through agricultural land without obtaining the consent of affected farmers or paying them appropriate compensation. They further alleged that farmers who questioned the compensation or sought to exercise their legal rights in connection with the projects were subjected to police pressure and threatened with criminal cases.

The issue gained further prominence following an incident last week in Saundana village in Patoda taluka, where some farmers allegedly attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance amid tensions over a wind power project. The Farmers’ Rights Front demanded an immediate and impartial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the incident.

The organisation alleged that the revenue and police administration in Beed district was working in the interests of wind energy companies while ignoring the rights and grievances of farmers.

“We may have been abandoned by elected representatives, but the Farmers’ Rights Front will stand firmly with farmers,” members of the organisation said during the protest.

The protesters demanded that transportation of project material and construction-related activities on agricultural land without farmers’ consent be stopped. They also sought an assurance that no pressure would be brought on farmers until they received appropriate compensation and that all statutory procedures would be followed transparently.

They further demanded an inquiry and action against officials and others allegedly responsible for putting pressure on farmers.

Among those who participated in the protest were Farmers’ Rights Front members Rajendra Amte, Dr Ganesh Dhawale, Shaikh Yunus, Ashok Yede, Sadek Syed, Balasaheb More, Ramdhan Jamale, Hanuman Ghodke, Bhimrao Kute, Shaikh Mubeen, Bajirao Dhakne, Dr Sanjay Tandale and DG Tandale.

Dadasaheb Kadam, Pradeep Kadam and Akshay Kadam from Saundana in Patoda tehsil, who had allegedly consumed a poisonous substance following pressure and alleged intimidation by wind energy companies and the police administration, also took part in the protest.

Farmers Vijay Ghadge and Ganesh Ghadge from Kanadighat in Beed tehsil, against whom police allegedly registered cases late at night, also participated in the agitation.

A memorandum was submitted through the Beed Collector to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister and Beed district guardian minister Sunetra Pawar.

The protesters demanded that before transporting wind turbine or solar project material through agricultural land, the consent of the concerned farmers should be obtained, appropriate compensation should be paid and all necessary legal procedures should be completed.

They also urged the administration to prioritise farmers’ legal rights instead of acting under pressure from companies.