Villages preparing to oppose Maruti plant in Gujarat

Villages preparing to oppose Maruti plant in GujaratSome have started comparing the developing situation in the Mandal Becharaji belt in Gujarat, which has been notified as special investment region (SIR), to what happened in Singur, West Bengal against Tata Motors.

Reports suggest that the residents of the 44 villages covering 126,000 acres of land in the Mandal Becharaji belt are gathering opposition to the notification as well as the proposed Maruti Suzuki India at Hansalpur. The area was notified as an SIR, which are like special economic zones but not focused on export only, after the company announced tis decision to set up a unit in the area.

It is believed that 36 out of the total 44 villages in the area have already passed a resolution against the notification stating that it would take away their fertile land for industrial development. Villagers have said that if the SIR status has not been taken away, then they would oppose the proposed Maruti plant in the area.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has said that it is aiming to create a production capacity of 1.5 million vehicles per annum in the state of Gujarat. The company had earlier said that its plant in the state will have an initial annual capacity of
250,000 units and indicated that the future expansion would depend upon the market conditions in the country.

MSIL has acquired an additional 500 acres of land in Mandal taluka of Ahmedabad district in order to expand its manufacturing facility in the state and increase production capacity. The new piece of land is located 20 kilometers away from Hansalpur, which the automaker is planning to invest Rs 4,000 crore for the manufacturing facility spreading across 640 acres. Maruti is investing Rs 4,000 crore in the plant in Mehsana.