Updated On: 04 October, 2018 08:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Anamika Gharat
As officials dilly-dally on demolishing Narayan Rane's bungalow as part of NH17 widening, villagers raise their voice against unpaid compensation

Samadhan Patil stands amid the ruins of his home in Tara gaon. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Tara village residents are fuming. Reason: Narayan Rane's bungalow is still standing, despite the collector office of Pen issuing notice to Nitesh Rane and family on September 8, giving them eight days to demolish part of their property, for which they received compensation, as part of NH17 widening project. Worse still, no government official seems to have woken up to take action either. In 2016, residents of Tara gaon received notices for demolition of their properties, as part of the project, and all houses were razed down within a month. So you can imagine their chagrin that Rane's bungalow continues to be whole even two years later.
Displaced in a heartbeat
A villager, Samadhan Patil, 32, said, "In 2015, I spent Rs 6 lakh redecorating my house, and the next year came the notice, giving me 10 days to demolish it. I didn't have another home, so I requested officials to give me a few more days to shift elsewhere with my family, but in vain. Five days after I was served the notice, my house was demolished. We slept out in the open for a week. Later, other villagers helped me to get a rented accommodation near our village.