Farmers protest land acquisition for new Rims 2.0 project

Time of India

14 hours ago

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Ranchi: Dozens of farmers from Nagri, on the outskirts of Ranchi, on Sunday sowed seeds on the roadside after the district administration stopped them from working their fields, which were marked for the construction of a new medical college hospital.
The Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences' (Rims) second campus, to be built at a cost of Rs 1,074 crore on 122 acres, will have 700 beds, with 250 for super-specialty and 150 seats for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Farmers began arriving in the morning but were stopped by the police. Barricades were set up along the road to block their entry. The farmers then met at a local akhada and decided that they would continue to visit the field every day and, if prevented, sow the seeds on the roadside.
The protest would continue until CM Hemant Soren meets them, they said.
"The govt should establish Rims-2 somewhere else. The farmers will not give up their land as it is the means of their livelihood. For many villagers, the land is their last asset, while for others, the property is a source of food and income for their families. Alternative means of employment in the area are negligible," Vikas Toppo, a farmer, said.
"Messages were sent to the CM through public representatives, but he did not give us an appointment.
We will decide our course of action after meeting him," he said. Ranchi SDO Utkarsh Kumar said, "The villagers have the right to hold peaceful protests within rules. For the past several days, the administration has deployed a police force round the clock on the spot."
While health minister Irfan Ansari said that the college would be built in designated place, his Congress colleague Bandhu Tirkey, a former MLA from Mandar, urged the state govt to relocate the project.