(ET)
A five-member committee headed by a state land and revenue department commissioner has reportedly found that the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) had acquired land for its Pakri Barwadih coal mining project without providing the market rate of that time to the landowners. Around 8,000 raiyyats, who have lost their agricultural land to the project two years ago, have been regularly protesting against the PSU with support from Barkagaon MLA Amba Prasad.
In July, the government formed a committee headed by land and revenue department commissioner (North Chottanagpur) Kamal John Lakra to look into the matter and sought a report latest by August 21. Talking to TOI, Lakra said he has submitted the report to the government. He said, “NTPC has acquired land as per the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and the Coal Bearing Act, 1957. Compensations paid by NTPC to the displaced were not sufficient and were not as per the current market rate of that time. This apart, we also probed whether the displaced received alternative employment options and proper rehabilitation package or not.”
