Gadarwara, Madhya Pradesh:
On Wednesday, Union Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Rajendra Shukla, attended the stone-laying foundation of National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) 3200 MW power project in Gadarwara in the Narsinghpur district. From the stage, the union minister, taking credit for the smooth acquisition of farm land for the ambitious project, said "Central Government has helped farmers get a compensation of Rs 14 lakhs as compensation for non-irrigation land and not Rs 15 but Rs 18 lakhs for the irrigation land from NTPC for the project."
This angered over 500 farmers from six villages from whom the NTPC has acquired land for this power project. The farmers feel cheated as in reality the rate offered to them for their land was three lakhs less than what Mr Scindia claimed. The protesting farmers, just one day after the stone-laying ceremony, stalled the construction work of the power plant demanding the remaining compensation for their land.
"We want Rs 18 lakh per acre as compensation, this is what the minister has said. We have stalled work and will not let it resume unless we get the remaining compensation for our land," Jhandel Singh, a farmer, told NDTV.
NTPC officials have refused to give an official reaction on this crisis but sources in the organisation told NDTV that they were surprised by the compensation figure the Union minister read out in his speech. They feel the issue can only be resolved if the central government intervenes.
The NTPC, for its power project spread over 1800 acres of land, through local administration had acquired 1350 acres land from the farmers.
"The land was acquired through a fair process, compensation was given at the rate of Rs 11 lakh for non-irrigational land and Rs 15 lakh for irrigational land in discussion and agreement with the rural committee," said Rani Batad, Narsinghpur's Deputy Collector.
Since Thursday, the work at the site has been stalled by farmers. The NTPC, which is suffering due to this confusion, has informed the Central Energy Ministry about it and are hoping that the issue is sorted out soon.