Power project becomes bone of contention
SP Sharma
Tribune News Service

Mansa, August 1
The construction of the 1350-MW thermal power plant in the private sector here has become a bone of contention between the Punjab Government and farmers of five villages where 880 acres of fertile land has been acquired for the purpose.

The farmers have been paid compensation ranging from Rs 23.24 lakh to Rs 23.77 lakh per acre. However, they are now demanding that the amount should be enhanced to the prevailing market rate of Rs 40 lakh.

About 900 farmers have been affected in the land acquisition process. As many as eight families have refused to accept the compensation for their 120 acres, said Deputy Commissioner Ravinder Singh.

The Punjab State Power Corporation had signed a memorandum of understanding with IndiaBulls Power for constructing the 1,350 MW coal-based thermal power project for which land has been acquired in Gobindpura, Sirsiwala, Jalbehra, Falluwala and Bareta villages. The Poena Power, a subsidiary of IndiaBulls, would execute the project.

The project would be set up in two phases. The first phase will consist of two units of 270 MW each to generate 540 MW and in the second phase, three units of 270 MW each will be built to generate a total of 810 MW.

This is one of the four thermal power plants that the Punjab Government had proposed to build to augment power generation capacity in the state so as to meet the increasing electricity demand and to achieve higher growth rates.

The Draft Land Acquisition Bill of the Centre banning acquisition of multi-cropped and irrigated land and the other incentives offered in the proposed package were also tempting for the farmers whose land has been acquired.

IndiaBulls recently took possession of the land and fenced it under police protection. They have also put up a board warning against any encroachment.

Acquisition of land for the project began in October last when many farmers offered their land without any resistance. However, the sudden increase in the land price in the state has become a cause of unrest among the farmers as they were not in a position to purchase alternate land with the compensation received by them.

The work on the other thermal power plant of 2640 MW being built by the Vedanta Group at Balianwala in Mansa district is progressing smoothly. This will be the first supercritical largest coal-based thermal plant in the state.