After several rounds of talks and meetings between the representatives of agitating land owners of the affected areas of the proposed NTPC coal projects at Barkagaon and Keredari, NTPC officials and Hazaribagh district administration, the deadlock has come to an end. In a hurriedly called press conference, the announcement was made by DC Mukesh Kumar, ED NTPC coal projects RS Rathi, MlA Barkagaon Nirmala devi and ex-minister Yogendra Sao, who were leading the agitation, collectively.
Executive Director, NTPC RS Rathi informed that the top management of NTPC has approved the new rate of compensation which will be Rs 20 lakhs per acre to both private land owners and to those having possession of GM land since last more than 30 years. For those who are in possession of government or forest land for less than 30 years will get Rs 10 lakhs per acre as loss of livelihood allowance. It has been introduced for the first time here as there is no provision of compensation for this category of displaced. No change has been made in rest benefits declared earlier to the displaced.
Announcing the end of about four month old agitation MlA Nirmala Devi and his husband ex-minister Yogendra Sao said that though the demand of compensation was much more but finally we have succeeded to get the compensation amount at par given by NTPC in other states and projects. The Sao couple blamed that the project got delayed due to non transparent working style of the NTPC administration here. We too want development of the area, state and country but will never compromise with the interests of those who are going to lose their land and livelihood due to these projects, the Sao couple added.
Giving the credit of the end of this deadlock to Sao couple DC Mukesh Kumar said that as per the instructions of state government and higher officials his team was regularly meeting with both NTPC and representatives of land owners. He assured the Sao couple that as per the agreement the terms and conditions of land acquisition will be widely publicized in Hindi in the affected areas, the compensation amount will be dispersed by organizing camps at Panchayat level, activities of pimps and antisocial elements will not be tolerated and the district administration will regularly keep eye on the rehabilitation and other community development works.
DC Kumar said that now the NTPC officials and Sao couple will try to take a date of CM Raghuwar Das to inaugurate the ground work of the project and it can be hoped that the pre mining activities will start by the end of this month.