Oct 7, 2008

India - For Tatas,i could give my land free,says farmer turned industrialist

industrialist Ravubha Vaghela was a very happy man on Monday after selling his entire 30 acres of land at Khoda and Naranpura villages to Gujarat government. He only hoped Tatas would bring their prestigious Nano project to the chosen site. Vaghela had earmarked this land for expansion of his firm, Raviraj Foils Limited. But the minute he was approached by state government officials, he willingly sold the land for building approach road from Sanand-Viramgam highway to Anand Agriculture University cattle farm that will hopefully be Nanos new home. Vaghela says he sold the land for Rs 15 crore at Rs 1,000 per square metre, despite the going market rate of Rs 2,500 per sq mt. Vaghela says he could have haggled for a better price or even gone to court. "But this would have delayed the process and Nano plant could have gone out of Gujarats hands. I was glad to make the sacrifice. For Tata project I could have given my land for free. I am a proud Rajput today that I will be instrumental in bringing Nano project to Gujarat," said Vaghela, who feels its time for him to repay a debt to Tatas. "During the great famine of 1900 Jamshetji Tata rescued the Kankrej cows being bred at the farm by making a donation of Rs 1,000," he explains, adding that his move symbolises the difference in the outlook of farmers in Gujarat and West Bengal.

Whats more, Vaghela also played a role in convincing other farmers to hand over their land to government. All of them sold their land to government on Monday. Of the nearly 2.05 lakh sq mt private land that Gujarat government has acquired for building the road leading to the site identified for Nano plant, almost two-thirds belong to Vaghela

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