<p>A group of around 100 farmers staged a `rail roko' agitation on Wednesday in western Maharashtra's Sangli district over issues related to the acquisition of land by the Railways.</p>.<p>The protest forced the Kolhapur-Gondia Maharashtra Express to halt for more than four hours in Bhilwadi-Nandre section in Palus tehsil, said district collector Dr Raja Dayanidhi.</p>.<p>'After the administration and Railways officials gave them a written assurance that a meeting will be held with the concerned authorities on September 15, the farmers allowed the train to pass,' he said.</p>.<p>Rajat Patil, one of the farmers, claimed that the Railways, while laying tracks near their village, encroached upon their land and they have not received any compensation to date.</p>.<p>A firm had conducted a survey during the COVID-19 pandemic and on that basis the Railways started the work, he said.</p>.<p>'Later the Railways realized that the firm had altered the survey by applying meters instead of feet while demarcating land. It terminated the firm's contract, but continued the work by encroaching upon our land,' Patil claimed.</p>.<p>The farmers then approached the district collector and fresh measurements showed that the Railways had encroached on their land, he added.</p>.<p> 'Our demand is that they should opt for land acquisition and give us compensation,' Patil said.</p>.<p> Their demand fell on deaf ears, so the farmers staged a blockade on Wednesday, he said, adding, 'we did not stop the train, we were sitting on our own land.' The Central Railway's chief public relations officer Shivraj Manaspure told PTI that the train was stopped at 1 pm and it resumed journey around 5 pm.</p>.<p>The necessary land has already been acquired and compensation is being given, he said. The farmers are demanding that their additional land be acquired by the Railways and a joint measurement for this is going on in consultation with the district administration, Manaspure added.</p>.<p>The farmers are also demanding that the Railways construct a road and drainage for them, he said.</p>.<p>'As per our rules, if there is any existing structure on the land, we reconstruct it, but here there was no road or drainage on the acquired land,' the chief PRO said. </p>
<p>A group of around 100 farmers staged a `rail roko' agitation on Wednesday in western Maharashtra's Sangli district over issues related to the acquisition of land by the Railways.</p>.<p>The protest forced the Kolhapur-Gondia Maharashtra Express to halt for more than four hours in Bhilwadi-Nandre section in Palus tehsil, said district collector Dr Raja Dayanidhi.</p>.<p>'After the administration and Railways officials gave them a written assurance that a meeting will be held with the concerned authorities on September 15, the farmers allowed the train to pass,' he said.</p>.<p>Rajat Patil, one of the farmers, claimed that the Railways, while laying tracks near their village, encroached upon their land and they have not received any compensation to date.</p>.<p>A firm had conducted a survey during the COVID-19 pandemic and on that basis the Railways started the work, he said.</p>.<p>'Later the Railways realized that the firm had altered the survey by applying meters instead of feet while demarcating land. It terminated the firm's contract, but continued the work by encroaching upon our land,' Patil claimed.</p>.<p>The farmers then approached the district collector and fresh measurements showed that the Railways had encroached on their land, he added.</p>.<p> 'Our demand is that they should opt for land acquisition and give us compensation,' Patil said.</p>.<p> Their demand fell on deaf ears, so the farmers staged a blockade on Wednesday, he said, adding, 'we did not stop the train, we were sitting on our own land.' The Central Railway's chief public relations officer Shivraj Manaspure told PTI that the train was stopped at 1 pm and it resumed journey around 5 pm.</p>.<p>The necessary land has already been acquired and compensation is being given, he said. The farmers are demanding that their additional land be acquired by the Railways and a joint measurement for this is going on in consultation with the district administration, Manaspure added.</p>.<p>The farmers are also demanding that the Railways construct a road and drainage for them, he said.</p>.<p>'As per our rules, if there is any existing structure on the land, we reconstruct it, but here there was no road or drainage on the acquired land,' the chief PRO said. </p>