NTPC’s compensation is inadequate, say villagers

NTPC’s compensation is inadequate, say villagers

About 30,000 villagers in Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand may lose their land if the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) goes ahead with its plans to acquire nearly 17,000 acres for its coal mining project.

The project, which will affect about 32 villages in the Keredari and Barkagaon block, has met with strong opposition. Villagers alleged that the NTPC authorities had not discussed the issue with them and instead sent “agents” to strike a deal. The NTPC authorities denied the allegation.

The compensation offered by the NTPC was “grossly inadequate,” a local rights activist said.

The public sector company was offering Rs. 20 lakh per acre when the farmers earned nearly Rs. 2 lakh a year just selling vegetables grown on the land. “The villagers are not opposed to the acquisition, but they want adequate compensation,” local activist and lawyer Anirudh Kumar told The Hindu.