-The Indian Express
Taking note of the rehabilitation issue of over 400 fishermen displaced by the Tarapur nuclear project, the Bombay High Court directed the Thane Collector to submit a report on a proposal of allocating agricultural land for the displaced families in Palghar.
The proposal was given by BJP leader and former union minister Ram Naik, who has intervened in the case arguing for a better rehabilitation package for the fishermen.
In the previous hearing, the residents of the nearby Unbhat village, where the fishermen were to be rehabilitated originally , intervened in the case opposing the resettlement in the village. Unbhat villagers contended it would lead to breach of peace as they would get involved in conflicts between the fishermen.
“I had a meeting with the residents of both villages and both sides agreed that rehabilitation in Unbhat would not be feasible. As an alternative, I suggested that the government can give one hectare of land in Palghar tehsil to each of the families to provide them with a means of livelihood,” Naik said.
The Division Bench of Justice B H Marlapalle and Justice Nishita Mhatre on Monday asked the Thane collector to hold a meeting with the villagers and to find out if enough land is indeed available in Palghar.
The case will now be heard after three weeks.