TALCHER: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has completed land acquisition of Bhalugadia village in Talcher, Angul for operation of the Hingula coal mine without any obstruction from local villagers.
As many as 234 villagers handed over their lands including houses to the coal PSU on July 9 after receiving 198 out of the assured 203 jobs as per State Rehabilitation Policy, 2006 along with Rs19 lakh as resettlement package.
Land acquisition officer Sanjay Kumar Dey said the process started way back in 2003 with 4 (1) notification with a total of 290 acre of land, both agriculture and homestead, to be acquired. “This is the first time in the history of Coal India and MCL that an entire village has handed over its resources without any obstruction and in one go to facilitate coal mining operations, thanks to the confidence and cooperation of villagers,” added Dey. The villagers are a happy lot upon receiving the compensation package. “Out of the Rs 19 lakh, Rs 9 lakh is for the plot and another `10 lakh is an incentive for the villagers who gave up their land in one go.