A new federation representing communities affected by development projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has been established in Thane to raise issues related to land, employment, housing reconstruction and rehabilitation. The initiative brings together local groups from five districts and has received public support from Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, according to a report by Loksatta – Thane.
The Sagari Bhumiputra Federation was formally established at an event held on Tuesday at Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane. It was formed at the initiative of Bhiwandi MP Suresh Mhatre, also known as Balya Mama, to provide a common platform for communities affected by metropolitan development projects.
Speaking through video conference, Pawar referred to the past work of Loknete D. B. Patil, who led several movements seeking justice for local residents affected by development. Pawar indicated that Mhatre would now take up responsibility for the concerns of the region’s local communities and appealed to people to support his leadership.
The federation is expected to include members of the Agri, Koli, Karadi, Kunbi, Adivasi, Bhandari and Bara Balutedar communities, along with farmers, fishers and other project-affected residents. Its proposed area of work covers Thane, Raigad, Palghar, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts.
The issues identified by the federation include village settlements, koliwadas, reconstruction of homes, land ownership and access, employment, and basic infrastructure. These concerns are especially significant in parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region where large infrastructure, industrial, transport and port projects are being implemented across established settlements and working landscapes.
The federation has listed projects and agencies including the City and Industrial Development Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, the Vasai-Virar-Alibag corridor, the coastal road and the Vadhvan port. It plans to raise the land, livelihood and rehabilitation concerns of farmers and fishers affected by these projects.
The formation of the federation brings several separate categories of affected residents under one regional platform. Its immediate focus, as described at the Thane event, is to present their demands collectively and seek solutions to questions of land, employment, resettlement and infrastructure linked to ongoing development projects. The report did not provide details of a formal charter, government response or a timeline for negotiations with the agencies named by the federation.
