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Days aft 2 agelong marches were held successful antithetic parts of Maharashtra to item the issues successful the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, a 3rd agelong march commenced from Rajur successful Akole taluka of Ahilyanagar connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026).
Over 5000 protestors participated successful it. “We person been issued a announcement by the constabulary that enactment volition beryllium taken against america successful lawsuit of immoderate instrumentality and bid situation. Instead of taking enactment of our morganatic demands, the authorities wants to muzzle our voices. We condemn this,” Ajit Navale, All India Kisan Sabha leader, said connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026). The protestation has been organised by the All India Kisan Sabha and Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU).
Meanwhile, the State authorities has called for a gathering astatine the Secretariat connected Wednesday to sermon the issues raised by the protestors.
Previous agelong marches were held successful Nashik and successful Palghar a fewer weeks ago. They were chiefly helmed by tribals for their onshore rights. The 3rd march successful Ahilyanagar saw thousands of farmers, authorities schoolhouse employees, mid-day repast workers, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, operation labourers participation. The protestors mean to locomotion astir 150 kilometres to scope the Ahilyanagar Collectorate. Tuesday was the archetypal time of the march. “We expect that much radical volition articulation the march arsenic we determination ahead,” Mr Navale said.
The protestors besides said that they person been forced to telephone for a caller agitation aft their erstwhile agitation was called disconnected due to the fact that the authorities had fixed them a connection that their demands volition beryllium fulfilled, but nary developments had taken spot since the protestation was called off. “We were fixed a committedness that measures to resoluteness our issues volition beryllium implemented. It has been astir 3 years since then,” Mr Navale said.
The demands pertain to the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, onshore ownership rights, fallow onshore rights, and MSP for tribals’ crops. The authorities employees astatine Anganwadis and ASHA centres person demanded that their salaries should beryllium credited connected a timely basis, and that they should not beryllium overburdened with further responsibilities which instrumentality distant from their halfway duties.
“Children of operation labourers should beryllium fixed scholarships. Ambit of aesculapian security should beryllium restored. All operation labourers should beryllium registered. Pension of Rs. 5000 should beryllium fixed for operation labourers supra 60 years of age. Data packs should beryllium fixed to ASHA workers moving done online mode. Freshly cooked meals should beryllium fixed successful anganwadis alternatively of packaged THR (Take Home Ration). The authorities should supply good-quality nutrient alternatively of substandard quality. Anganwadis should not beryllium privatised,” the demands submitted by the protestors stated. The Hindu has accessed a transcript of the eight-page letter.
The protestors besides said that their objections astir the Nashik-Pune high-speed railway person not been addressed for years. They raised concerns astir the proviso of potable h2o too.
Guardian Minister of Ahilyanagar Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said that the authorities had taken enactment of the protestation and had called for a high-level gathering of each the acrophobic departments successful the State Secretariat connected Wednesday (February 24, 2026). Officials and Ministers of Labour Department, Health Department, School Education Department, Labour Commissioner, Collector of Ahilyanagar are among those who person been called for the meeting.
