The land acquisition row seems to chasing the Tata's Nano car project even out of Singur as farmers of villages near Sanand, the project's new address, have staked claim on the plot.
A group of farmers from Khoda and Bod villages near Chhordi, where the Nano project is proposed to come up, has demanded compensation for the land. The farmers claimed the land of Anand Agriculture University, (AAU) given to the Tatas, belongs to their forefathers.
They said the land was given on lease in 1911, which had come under the management of AAU, for 99 years.
"The land which has been allotted for the Nano project belongs to our forefathers who had given it on lease for cattle farm. Later, the farm became part of the AAU who managed it," one of the farmers, who has staked claim on the land, Mukeshsinh Waghela, said.
"We are the legal heir of this land and have claimed compensation for the land of our forefathers. We have made representation to the district officials regarding this. But they say we have no right over the land," he said.
According to Waghela and other members, the entire 2,200-acre land of the AAU belongs to their forefathers.
District officials said the claims made by farmers were baseless as the land was acquired by Britishers in 1911 and has been in government's possession since then.
"The farmers cannot claim their right over the land as the land has been with the government for the last hundred years. We have all the documents to prove it," district collector Harit Shukla said.
