Farmers in Bihar demand higher compensation for land

PATNA - Hundreds of farmers clashed with the police in Bihar’s Aurangabad district Saturday afternoon, demanding higher compensation for the land acquired by state-owned firm NTPC in Nabinagar, police said.

The clashes left nearly a dozen farmers injured. A farmer was also reported to have died in the protests, but district authorities have denied it.

NTPC (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation) is setting up three 660 MW thermal power plants in Nabinagar, for which a total of 2,800 acres of land is required.

A group of farmers also set ablaze a passenger train at Ankorha railway station.

Police resorted to lathi charge and used water cannons to disperse the mob.

Earlier this month, farmers in Nabinagar facing displacement due to the upcoming power plants wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, demanding that the quality of their land be assessed.

Arvind Kumar Singh, secretary of the Visthaapit Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti said the state government had promised that no industry will be set up on fertile land.

“Even land reforms commissioner Chandragupta Ashok Vardhan had made a proposal against setting up industrial project on fertile land, but attempts are on to forcibly take over our fertile land,” the letter said.

The letter also said that middlemen were dictating terms in the sale and purchase of land.

As per the present rule, NTPC normally pays Rs.5.50-7 lakh per acre for the acquired land.