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Denied:
Farmers of the region stage a dharna near the REL site office
Photos K. Satheesh |
The dispute over
compensation given to farmers for land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh
government for the Reliance power plant at Dadri could turn out to be
a speedbreaker in the project’s completion.
While farmers say
their land has been taken away at cheap rates, officials of Anil Ambani-led
Reliance Energy Limited (REL) claim that vested interests are hell bent
on politicising the project. They say the project will provide much-needed
power to several states in the region.
REL has already
spent about Rs 125 crore on the project that spans seven villages including
Dehra and Bajhera Khurd, hamlets in Ghaziabad district, and is like
to affect nearly 30,000 families. The project was initially planned
to generate 3,500 mw, but its capacity has been increased to 7,500 mw.
Sources say REL plans to further up it to 10,000 mw.
The story dates
to February 22, 2004, when hundreds of families gathered to hear CM
Mulayam Singh announce the project. After all, he was about to launch
the world’s largest gas-based power plant in their neighbourhood.
The only nagging factor was the proposed price for nearly 2,500 acres
spanning seven villages to be acquired for the Rs 13,000 crore project.
Says 65-year-old
Deepa Singh of Bajheda Khurd: “The CM first said he would give
us Rs 250 per square yard. When farmers protested, he upped the rate
to Rs 260. He subsequently stopped at Rs 310. Everyone agreed. We feel
cheated at being paid Rs 150 square yard instead of the promised Rs
310. The announcement was made in front of thousands of farmers.”
The matter was widely reported in local dailies.
‘The
chief minister first said he would give us Rs 250 per square yard.
When farmers protested, he upped the rate to Rs 260. He stopped
at Rs 310. Everyone agreed. We feel cheated at being paid Rs 150
square yard instead of the
promised Rs 310. The
announcement was made in front of thousands of
farmers,’ says Deepa Singh
of Bajheda Khurd. And he is not the only one feeling cheated by
the government |
Since they didn’t
get that price, farmers began protesting against the government’s
acquisition price saying it was less than the market price and contrary
to the promises made by UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. Former
Prime Minister VP Singh and Jan Morcha leader Raj Babbar were recent
entrants into the Dadri fray. As the agitation ripened, so did the State’s
response. Almost two-and-a-half years after the project was announced,
lathi-wielding Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel beat protesting
farmers in Bajhera Khurd.
A fact-finding report
by Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology director
Vandana Shiva recounts the incident: “On the night of July 7,
and morning on July 8, 2006, police battalions and the private security
force of Reliance invaded the village of Bajhera Khurd, Ghaziabad, beat
up women in the village, stole cash and other expensive belongings…
broke every vehicle and stole every mobile.”
REL officials refute
the involvement of “so-called private security guards”.
“Like anyone trying to protect one’s assets, we called up
the police which took action. How come Reliance figures in this,”
asked a Reliance official.
Narmada Bachao Andolan
convenor Medha Patkar, who met the victims, says: “While it’s
the police who mercilessly beat up farmers, cases have been registered
against farmers.”
The fact-finding
report lists some grounds for the farmer dissatisfaction. “The
prices in the market are Rs 13,500 square metre. On top of this, the
government of UP has waived all the stamp fees and other related costs
for buying the land for Reliance, along with the subsidy in which Reliance
would pay only 40 percent of the costs and the government would pay
the rest. This deal has been done under the Land Acquisition Act of
the government under which the government can only acquire land of the
farmers and villagers for public development projects and not for private
commercial purposes. Reliance is reportedly planning to use 2,700 acres
for the project, when experts say 700-800 acres would be sufficient.
The land is the prime agriculture land of northern India and is often
touted as one of the most fertile lands of the world, with the alluvial
layer deeper than 300 metres. The land is also abundant with water and
is just 2-3 km away from the main Ganga Canal. Reliance has also barbed
the land with wires.”
An REL spokesperson
counters, “The acquisition process was in line with the various
government guidelines and orders. A land negotiation committee was constituted
to decide the compensation and it included representatives of the administration.
The compensation was agreed upon and over 5,000 farmers signed kararnamas
(letter of agreement). The farmers got more than four to five times
of the then prevailing circle and market rate. The farmers were paid
Rs 150 per square yard against a prevailing rate of Rs 30 to Rs 70.
Reliance paid a stamp duty of Rs 4.9 crore.”
