Home / Sunday-mid-day / / Article /
How villagers turned billionaires with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project
Updated On: 11 June, 2023 04:46 PM IST | Pulsana Taluka, Surat | Gautam S Mengle
Mid-day took a trip to Antroli, Niyol and Mohni villages in Surat district where villagers who’ve received some of the highest land compensations for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project are wrestling with a range of emotions from ecstasy to confusion
Listen to this article :
Mohni residents Kantilal and Hasuben Patel gave up the land their house once stood on for the Bullet Train corridor and received Rs 55 lakh. They hope to see the train zip past from the balcony of their swanky new bungalow. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The house in question sits on the side of the busiest street in the Antroli village in Palsana taluka of Surat district. It’s the one that leads to the gram panchayat headquarters. A swanky three-storey structure, it is coloured tastefully in ivory and chocolate brown; the front door secured by a biometric scanner. A solar panel sits tight on the roof. The ground level leads to a plush living area on the first floor, with an airy terrace that houses a swing, a staple in most homes in Gujarat.
On the sofa sits Indravadan Vyas, the village priest, and his son Parimal, who has followed in his father’s footsteps, serving the village with sacred know-how. “You can either view it as karma or dharma. In karma, God rewards you for your good deeds. In dharma, you tell God what you wish for,” says Parimal stoically.
Trending Stories
Latest Photos
Latest Videos
Latest Web Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
Mid-Day Fast
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT