Jaipur: The state govt has sought a week to examine farmers’ demands for cancellation or withdrawal of the proposed Kotputli-Kishangarh Green Field Expressway, with the third round of talks scheduled for Aug 26.The farmers, who have been opposing the project for nearly a year, have also postponed their planned Jaipur demonstration from Aug 24 to Sept 2 following govt’s request for more time.The second round of talks held at the Secretariat Thursday lasted over two hours. The discussions covered the purpose of the project, cost-benefit analysis, social impact assessment report and its management plan, environmental concerns, village culture and connectivity, among other issues.Farmers also raised concerns about the families likely to be displaced by the project and sought an impartial assessment by an expert group. They demanded access to relevant project documents.Alternative routes and the procurement of soil for road construction were also discussed.Kisan Mahapanchayat national president Rampal Jat, who led the farmers’ delegation, reiterated the demand for scrapping or withdrawing the project. “The Kotputli-Kishangarh NH-48 already exists. Therefore, there is no need for a new project. The railway line also exists between Kotputli and Kishangarh. Why build this expressway when there is no public demand for it?” Jat said.He said there was no justification for acquiring agricultural land for the project. “As a result, farmers would lose both their farmland and their homes,” he said.The govt delegation was led by ACS Praveen Gupta and included Jaipur collector Sandesh Nayak, additional district collector and officials from the road construction department, including Girish Jain.Representatives of 114 villages will now stage a dharna at Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur on Aug 24, while a larger demonstration with 1,000 tractors has been proposed for Sept 2 if the third round of talks fails.The first round was held on Aug 2 at Jaipur District Collectorate.The proposed expressway has been at the centre of the farmers’ agitation for nearly a year, with affected villagers maintaining that the project would lead to loss of agricultural land and homes and disrupt village life.
