Poena Power Transmission Limited takes possession of the land forcibly with the help of police in Mansa district
Gagandeep Ahuja
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
PATIALA : The management of Poena Power Transmission Limited today took the ossession of about 700 acres land at village Gobindpura, Sirsiwala, Jalbehra, Falluwala and Bareta for setting up the 1350MW thermal plant in Mansa district.

The activists of Farmer union BKU Ekta (Ugrahan) told over phone form Gobindpura that about 200 police personal reached at the spot in the wee hours today along with the officials of Poena Power Transmission Limited.

The management of the power company has erected pillars for the boundary which was objected by the villagers. After the crack of dawn many villagers gathered on the site and have raised anti government slogans.

Many of them sat on the Bathinda Jakhal railway track and threatened to kill self under the running train and not to move away. Police immediately swung into action and removed protestors from the track and rounded up about 100 persons including two dozen women.

The deputy commissioner of Mansa Ravinder Singh said in a release that State government has already issued notification under relevant sections to acquire the land in Gobindpura, Sirsiwala, Jalbehra, Falluwala and Bareta to set up a thermal plant by Peona power.

He however denied the use of force and said that protestors have been respectfully asked not to sit on the track. He said that only 9 families of 92 acre land (out of 880 acre) were not in favour for giving their land while about 900 families have already got the compensation fixed by the government.

#ad_2##The remaining land was disputed and matter currently in the court which would also be resolved very soon, asserted the deputy commissioner.

Meanwhile the BKU said that they have asked the state government that the notification issued for the acquisition of 880 acres should be immediately taken back. “Punjab government is adopting double standards on the land acquisition. On one hand, it has claimed that no land would be acquired without land owners’ consent but on the other hand, the 850 acres are being forcefully taken away.”

Another plant of 2,640MW is being set up by multi-national Vedanta group owned company – Sterlite energy in Banawali village. Earlier, the state government was to set up the power plant in Bhupal village of the district but the plan had to be shelved over farmers protesting against the acquisition.