A delegation of Opposition parties, headed by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief Babulal Marandi, met Governor Droupadi Murmu on Saturday and handed over a memorandum demanding her intervention so that the ongoing process of land acquisition for setting up of an Adani Power Plant Project could be stopped in Godda. The delegation also demanded judicial inquiry into the matter.
“We have requested the Governor to direct the State Government to ensure that SPT Act and land Acquisition Act of 2013 are followed on the basis of report submitted by Special Investigation Team in this regard,” said Marandi. A request has also been made to the Governor to get a judicial probe into the episode, he added.
Marandi also alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched by the State Government to forcefully acquire the multi-crop lands of the ‘raiyats’ by adopting inappropriate means in the name of Godda Project of Adani Power Plant limited.
“Initially, land acquisition was started in Paraspani village of Paraspani Circle in Godda for setting up a 1600 MW thermal power plant but following opposition from the raiyats in the area, the foucs was later shifted to multi-crop irrigable lands in Godda and 10 mauza of Poraiyahat circle violating the provisions in land Acquisition Act of 2013 in connivance with the District Administration and Police,” Marandi said. Around 900 acres of land have already been acquired in Godda district for the power plant. Adani is to set up a 1,600 MW power plant for electricity to be supplied to Bangladesh, the former Chief Minister added.
Former Union Minister and Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay, who was also in the delegation, charged the State Government with creating the State a fertile ground for thriving insurgent groups through its anti-people policies.
“Chapter III (Section 10 of Special Provisions to Safeguard Food Security) of land Acquisition Act of 2013 says that irrigable multi-crop lands must be kept free from land acquisition so that the common man could enjoy the security of food but this provision is also being violated for this project,” said Sahay.
The affidavit submitted by 399 raiyats to the Collector and Additional Collector regarding their denial to hand over their lands for the purpose, also indicates that the State Government did not fulfill the condition where consent of 80 per cent of the affected ‘raiyats’ was mandatory for acquisition of land by a private company for public purpose under section 2 (2) (b) (1) of land Acquisition Act of 2013, added the ex-Union Minister.
The delegation also declared the project was being set up purely for personal benefits of Adani Power Plant which is a private entity against the claim by the Government that it was for public purpose.
“100 per cent power produced by this project will be exported to Bangladesh hence it could not be claimed that it was being set up for public purpose,” said Sahay. Moreover, hundreds of acres of multi-crop land will go in the hands of Adani Power Plant which will later require thousands of liters of water at the cost of the poor living in the area, he added.
Notably, JVM Principal General Secretary Pradeep Yadav, spearheading an agitation against ‘wrongful’ land acquisition for Adani power plant at Poraiyahat in Godda arrested by police on April 22, continues to be behind bars. Yadav has been charged with provoking the crowd for stone pelting on police on April 7 in Poraiyahat and also preventing Government officials from dispensing their duties during environmental public hearing which was organised by the State Government to pave way for land acquisition for proposed Adani Power Plant in the locality.