Compensation package for land losers in Deocha coal project revised: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

The Rs 35,000 crore coal project in Birbhum district is the coutry's largest and the world's second largest one.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (Photo | PTI)
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (Photo | PTI)

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the government has modified the compensation for land losers of Deocha Pachami coal mining project and that there will be no forced acquisition of land for it.

The Rs 35,000 crore coal project in Birbhum district is the coutry's largest and the world's second largest one.

Banerjee said after a cabinet meeting that the state government wants to acquire land for the mining project, which will create one lakh jobs.

"The government will develop this project and no land will be given to the private sector. We have modified the compensation in the cabinet meeting so that people are benefitted.

"Despite this, if anyone does not want to give land we will not force and will develop the project excluding that portion," she said.

The chief minister said that compensation and support is being offered to even those who live in the area identified for the coal block and do not have any legal right either on any land or building there.

"Some illegal mine owners in the area are misguiding the locals, but the offer is excellent and I don't think anyone will reject it. The project will bring immense economic boost to the state by offering low cost power for another 100 years," Banerjee, who had supported the anti-land acquisition movements at Singur and Nandigram, said.

Chief secretary H K Dwivedi said the government is offering rehabilitation package of Rs 10,000 crore and has raised the compensation to be given for house building to Rs seven lakh from Rs five lakh and the size of houses to be given to them has been revised to 700 sq ft from 600 sq ft.

The government has also increased another component of the compensation from Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, he said.

It is paying two per cent compensation to land losers, 100 per cent as solatium, Rs 1 lakh as shifting cost, Dwivedi said.

Better jobs like that of constables or group C employees will be given to qualified members of land loser families, Dwivedi said.

There are 12 villages in the area having around 4,314 households with a population of 21,033.

A total 3,601 of them are SCs and another 9,034 STs.

Located in Muhammad bazar in Birbhum district, Deocha Pachami is spread over 12.31 sq km, which is around 3400 acres.

Of the total area the government owns 100 acres, of which 300 acres is forest land.

The block has a reserve of around 1,198 million tonnes of coal and 1400 million cubic meter basalt (black stone).

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