Valia tribal belt opposes 600% increase in jantri

BHARUCH: Tribal leaders, builders, advocates and NGOs in Bharuch are opposed to the increase in jantri rates in Valia by the state government. They have demanded the rates be revised as Valia has been declared a backward taluka with its 50 per cent population being tribal, sources said.
The state government recently increased the jantri rate by 600 per cent in Valia from Rs 500 to Rs 3,450 per sq metre, which is highest in the district.
Tribal leader Anil Bhagat, who is vice-president of Bharuch District Panchayat, said, "The state government claims it has provided Indira Awas and Sardar Awas to poor tribals and then why has it raised the jantri rates by 600 per cent in Valia. This is injustice to the tribals."
According to available data in the district panchayat, the total population in Valia is 130587 of whom 96179 are tribals. There is no logic behind the increase in the Jantri rates in Bharuch. The increase in the rate is just 2.5 per cent in Jhadeshwar, one of the most developed areas in the district. Bharuch city has three different wards. The increase in Jantri rate in one ward is by 116 per cent, in the second it is by about 60 per cent and in the third it is by 131 per cent. "The state government wants to acquire more land in Valia for the GIDC and hence has raised the rates. This will ensure that the land is beyond the tribals reach," alleged Bhagat.