We oppose farm land for power projects: BJP

We oppose farm land for power projects: BJP

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 04 Mar 2010 04:43:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 04 Mar 2010 07:23:13 AM IST

BHUBANESWAR: While the steel project of Posco is hanging fire due to stiff resistance from the public over land acquisition, the BJP today announced its support to the farmers of Angul and Dhenkanal districts opposing acquisition of agricultural land in the Rengali right canal command area for independent power projects (IPPs).


Three senior leaders of the party - KV Singhdeo, Bijay Mohapatra and Dharmendra Pradhan - questioned the rationale of acquiring over 3,000 acres of agricultural land in the command area of Rengali Irrigation Project after an investment of about Rs 1,700 crore in the project. While the Government had taken loan from the World Bank to complete 79 km of the right bank canal, it is negotiating with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for additional loan to complete the right canal.

Of the four IPPs coming up in the Rengali right bank canal command area, the private land requirement of GMR Energy is 1,030 acres. Substantial portion of the private land has been handed over to the company which proposed to set up a 1,000 MW power plant at Kamalanga in Dhenkanal district.

However, 40 civil suits pertaining to village Kamalanga have been pending in the court of Dhenkanal civil judge court, Singhdeo said.

The Government has issued notification for acquisition of 1,104 acres of private land for the 1,320 MW Lanco Power Project at Badabandha, 1,002 acres for the 1,040 MW power plant of Navbharat Power at Khadaprasad and 882 acres for CESE Ltd at Neulapoi all in Dhenkanal district.

The acquisition of agricultural land in the command area of the Rengali right canal will defeat the purpose of the irrigation project which was conceptualised in the seventies to irrigate over 84,000 hectares of land in Angul, Dhenkanal and Cuttack districts, the BJP leaders said.

Resentment is brewing in the villages to be affected by the power projects and the situation may turn explosive, they cautioned.

Responding to a query, Singhdeo said his party was not opposed to industrialisation but will not support the Government so far as acquisition of fertile agriculture land is concerned.

“BJP stand committed to protect the interests of the farmers,’’ he said and added that his party will oppose tooth and nail the anti-farmer policy.

The party will take up the issue in the ensuing session of the Assembly, they added.


Email PrintDelicious Digg Google Facebook Yahoo Reddit Stumble Comments


http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?title=We%20oppose%20farm%20land%20for%20power%