Jashpur farmers halt Bharatmala survey, demand ‘Land for Land’ compensation
Villagers in the Loro area of Duldula Tehsil, located in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district, have launched a protest against the land acquisition proposed for the Bharatmala road project.
Jashpur | Correspondent: Villagers in the Loro area of Duldula Tehsil, located in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district, have launched a protest against the land acquisition proposed for the Bharatmala road project. On Thursday, when a team of officials and staff arrived to survey the road planned to stretch from Loro-Dofa to the Ara region, they were intercepted on-site by a large group of local men and women.
The villagers state clearly that agriculture is the primary means of sustenance for their families; therefore, mere cash compensation will not resolve the threat to their livelihoods. They have demanded that if their agricultural land is to be acquired for the road project, they must be provided with alternative, cultivable land in exchange. Failing this, they insist that the project be diverted away from their area.
Under this project, land belonging to 32 farmers in Loro-Dofa village is slated for acquisition. While two farmers, Pitrus Oraon and Rajesh Oraon, have accepted the compensation, the others remain dissatisfied with the offered amount and have refused to accept it.
According to the available figures, compensation has been set at Rs 15 lakh for approximately three acres of land belonging to villager Ramprasad Rautia, and Rs 6 lakh for about one acre of land owned by Sherafinus Ekka.
The villagers’ opposition is also rooted in a bitter experience. They recalled that in the past, they faced a long delay of nearly 10 years in receiving compensation for land acquired for NH-43; this has left them feeling about surrendering their land once again. The farmers argue that the current compensation amount is insufficient to purchase equally fertile land elsewhere, and they maintain that they should be formally notified before any further action is taken.
Upon receiving news of the protest, Duldula Tehsildar Rahul Kaushik and Kunkuri SDOP Rajesh Kumar Sahu arrived at the site, accompanied by a police contingent. Officials listened to the villagers' objections and attempted to address their concerns.
Tehsildar Rahul Kaushik stated that a crucial meeting between the administration and the villagers will be held on Saturday to resolve this impasse. The meeting will include the SDM, the Tehsildar, officials from the National Highways (NH) authority, and the affected farmers, to reach a mutually agreeable solution.
Regarding the legal aspects, Advocate Satyaprakash Tiwari explains that existing regulations mandate the provision of fair compensation and facilities to those affected by land acquisition. This includes compensation of up to four times the market value in rural areas and up to two times in urban areas, along with a 100 percent solatium (additional compensation) in cases of compulsory acquisition.
There is also a provision to provide alternative housing or land to eligible displaced families; however, in many projects where the land of thousands of farmers is acquired, and the government lacks sufficient land, the law stipulates that appropriate cash compensation be provided instead.
