Valsad Farmers Confront District Collector over Power Grid’s Refusal to Pay Revised Land Dues

Kajli Gram Panchayat leaders and local cultivators in South Gujarat’s Valsad district submitted a formal representation to the District Collector on Monday, demanding the enforcement of updated state government compensation norms for land affected by high-tension transmission lines. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) officials are reportedly refusing to apply revised state rates, sparking widespread resentment across Nana Pondha and Kaprada talukas.

State Circular Ignored by Power Grid

According to the memorandum submitted by the Kajli Sarpanch, a Gujarat government circular issued on July 4, 2026 mandates compensation at 200% of the current market value for the catchment area surrounding power towers, covering an extra one-metre margin on all four sides. The order also enforces enhanced compensation rates for the Right of Way (RoW) corridor.

POWERGRID officials operating in the region have turned down farmer requests for updated payouts, alleging that the state's revised circular does not apply to their infrastructure projects.

Permanent Land Value Loss and Unpaid Crop Damage

Cultivators highlight that high-tension lines running across their plots impose severe long-term land-use restrictions. Farmers are barred from carrying out permanent construction, sub-plotting land, or raising high-yield mango orchards beneath the lines, driving down overall property values permanently.

During the installation phase, contractors cleared 20-year-old teak trees, damaged standing horticultural crops, and broke borewells and irrigation systems. Affected landholders report that full 100 per cent valuations of these asset losses remain unpaid. Monsoon conditions have heightened fears of electrical leakage and short circuits, posing safety risks to farm labourers and livestock.

Broken Infrastructure and Unmet CSR Pledges

Heavy machinery and transport vehicles deployed by the power corporation have badly damaged village asphalt roads managed by the local panchayat. Despite explicit commitments to repair the civic infrastructure, no restoration work has been carried out, nor has any compensation been remitted to the panchayat.

Furthermore, residents pointed out that the public sector enterprise has failed to execute mandatory public welfare projects under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) quota within the affected villages. The petition urges the District Collector to intervene immediately, enforce state guidelines, and ensure full disbursement of dues to the affected agricultural community.