leaders of almost all political parties were at Barkagaon on Sunday to fight for the displaced land owners of the area under the banner of Jameen Bachao Jan Sangharsh Morcha. In the massive public meeting held in the premises of GDM High School, all announced their support to the ongoing agitation.
JVM Supremo Babu lal Marandi said that he had visited the site of proposed R&R colony, NTPC is making for the displaced. It is smaller than the toilet room of DC Hazaribagh’s bungalow. Hitting hard on both Central and State Governments Marandi said that both are anti-poor and are working for the benefits of the big houses. He appealed to the denizens of Barkagaon and Keredari to be united for the fight of survival and assured that he is ready to go even to jail for their cause.
Ex-MP BP Mehta of CPI said that the big houses are eyeing on the undergroundmineral resources of this area and with the help of officials and criminals they want to grab the land of the poor peasants. Citing the example of NTPC Mehta said that it has paid Rs 80 lakhs per acre compensation to the land owners of Barh, Bihar more than ten years ago and here it has just agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh per acre rate though the land of Barkagaon is not less fertile than of Barh.
Ex-MP Ramendra Kumar said that after the arrival of NTPC in this area game of loot of land has started and fake settlements were made by the block officials. He demanded high level probe of the property of present and ex-block officials of Barkagaon and Keredari.
Ex-MlA Janardan Paswan of RJD and Binod Kumar Singh of CPI-Ml said that governments of both center and state are with the companies so struggle is the only way for survival otherwise the nexus of officers and criminals will kill you. Ex-MlA Gautam Sagar Rana said that every party and politician talks about moral and pro-poor policies but after coming in power forget it.
In his address Ex-MlA loknath Mahto of AJSU said that the companies are trying to suppress the voice of the displaced and land owners with the help of government machinery but the denizens of Barkagaon-Keredari are not going to tolerate it any more. If acquirement of land is necessary then the government will have to give right price of the land and piece of land for rehabilitation. Many more leaders also addressed the gathering and expressed their solidarity with the agitating displaced and land owners of both blocks. The local leaders of BJP remained away from this meeting but they have decided to make the CM acquainted with the pain of displaced and land owners very soon and to request him to make policies acceptable to them.