Gadchiroli farmers oppose airport, government pauses land acquisition
3 min readNagpurUpdated: Jun 6, 2026 04:35 PM IST
The land acquisition process for the proposed Gadchiroli airport in Maharashtra was temporarily suspended on Saturday following large-scale protests by farmers.
During a visit to the protest site, Co-Guardian Minister Ashish Jaiswal gave written assurances to the agitating farmers and said that a final decision on the project would be taken after discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Jaiswal emphasised that while development projects are important, public sentiments and the interests of locals would be respected. He assured farmers that the government would strive to maintain a balance between development and public interest.
Farmers who participated in the agitation said the minister assured them that a period of more than 90 days would be provided for filing objections to the land acquisition proposal. Some farmers also demanded that no government officials visit villages or agricultural fields during this period.
Meanwhile, Vivek Khobragade of Azad Samaj Party (ASP) alleged that Mahendra Bramhanwade, a leader of the Gadchiroli Shetkari Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, called off the agitation midway and asked farmers to disperse.
Khobragade further alleged that the farm leaders had been “managed” and that since they had obtained permission for the protest, the participating farmers had no option but to return home after the agitation was withdrawn at around 2 am on Saturday.
The protesters alleged that fertile agricultural land was being acquired for development projects and mining activities in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district by the government.
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The major demands listed were:
* No fertile agricultural land in Hirapur, Shirpur Chak, Guruwala Rakhi, or any other village in Gadchiroli taluka should be acquired for the proposed airport project
* The ongoing land acquisition process for the proposed Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) projects covering 14 villages in the Bhendala area and 13 villages in the Jayrampur area should be cancelled
* Immediate measures should be taken to address the issue of wild elephants.
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After the decline of Naxalism in Gadchiroli, several development projects have been announced in the district, including mining and the construction of an airport. The land acquisition for the same is underway since past few months under the MIDC Act. However, the farmers who do not wish to part with the land have objected to the same, with farmers of Konsari alleging that the land acquisition was done by presenting fake Gram Sabha resolutions.
