Third Mumbai farmers foil land takeover bid, govt withdraws controversial notices

Hindustan Times

04-07-2025

NAVI MUMBAI: In a major victory for farmers in Uran, the Maharashtra government has withdrawn controversial notices that threatened to take over agricultural land left fallow for two consecutive years. The decision came after a massive protest march on Thursday to the Uran tehsil office, where villagers alleged a backdoor attempt to forcibly acquire their land under the guise of a central government scheme. Navi Mumbai, India - July 3, 2025:Sudhakar Patil explaining the provisions of Govt resolution to Tahsildar Third Mumbai villagers protest succeeds in getting `acquisition of uncultivated landÕ notices withdrawn in Navi Mumbai, India, on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)
The farmers, under the banner of the MMRDA KSC Navnagar Virodhi Shetkari Samiti Raigad, accused the state of misusing the Agri Stack initiative—a digital land record and agriculture database scheme—to dispossess them of their ancestral land for the ambitious Karnala-Sai-Chirner New Town project, also dubbed 'Third Mumbai'.
Over 124 villages across Uran, Panvel and Pen talukas are opposing the proposed township, which they claim is being designed to benefit powerful builders and developers at the cost of local communities. 'The notices were a ploy to declare our lands abandoned and hand them over for urban development,' said Sudhakar Patil, president of the committee.
According to Patil, farmers began receiving show-cause notices from June 26, demanding an explanation for leaving land uncultivated for two years. The notices warned that failure to respond within four days would be interpreted as consent, and the government would proceed to take over the plots.
'This is nothing short of land grabbing,' Patil said. 'The government made no attempt to understand why the land wasn't cultivated—whether it was because of sea water ingress, mangrove growth, flooding, or declining fertility due to industrial pollution. Instead of helping us revive our soil, they want to hand it over to capitalists.'
After the farmers marched to the Uran tehsildar's office, the local administration was forced to backtrack. In a written communication to the farmers, Uran Tehsildar Uddhav Kadam confirmed that the notices had been withdrawn. 'The intent was to encourage participation in the Agri Stack scheme, which is meant to benefit farmers. However, there was a misunderstanding that it was a land acquisition move. Hence, we have cancelled the notices,' Kadam said.
The victory has boosted the morale of villagers who say they are already reeling under the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects such as CIDCO's NAINA scheme and the Navi Mumbai airport. 'We've lost homes, farms, and entire villages. Our houses have been declared illegal and demolished. Now they want to snatch away what little land we have left,' said Rupesh Patil, general secretary of the farmers' committee.
The farmers have vowed to continue their resistance against the New Town project, which they say threatens to erase rural communities in favour of real estate profits.