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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Land fury hits Burdwan project Grievance justified: Sen

Land fury hits Burdwan project Grievance justified: Sen

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published Published on Jan 4, 2011   modified Modified on Jan 4, 2011

Farm labourers and sharecroppers stopped work at the site of a Rs 5,000-crore fertiliser plant in Burdwan’s Panagarh claiming they had not been paid their share of the land compensation and demanding construction jobs.

The political links of the protesters at the 500-acre plot acquired by the government and handed over to the Mumbai-based Matix Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd last year were not immediately clear. But Bengal industries minister Nirupam Sen, who was visiting nearby Durgapur, said “their grievance was justified”.

Matix officials in Mumbai refused comment on the compensation claims, saying the matter was being handled by the state government. But the protest is different from other land rows — including one over the airport city project in nearby Andal — which have generally revolved around demands for higher compensation.

The protesters today demanded 25 per cent of the land value for the sharecroppers and 250 days’ wages for the farm labourers, besides unskilled jobs in the plant’s construction. The government paid the land-losers Rs 10.8 lakh per acre.

“The administration had promised us wages for 250 days by December 31 but nothing was done. They also promised us jobs at the construction site but we did not get any. We are fed up and decided to stop work,” said Shyamal Bagdi, 45, who claimed to be one of the farm labourers.

Minister Sen, who hails from Burdwan, said he had spoken to some of the protesters. “Sixteen of the sharecroppers met me today and informed me that they have not received their dues. I have told them that they will receive their payments soon. Regarding the farm labourers, the work to identify the genuine ones has just been completed. I request the agitators to have patience as this will take some time.”

The state-owned West Bengal Industrial Development Corp handed over the land to the company in July last year. The unit, with a capacity to produce three million tonnes of urea annually, also has a 33-MW captive power plant that will use coal-bed methane supplied by the Essar group from the mines in nearby Raniganj.

The slogan-shouting group of 300, armed with sticks, spears and axes, dug up the approach road to the site and placed boulders to prevent movement of trucks laden with building material.

A police team arrived after two hours but stood as mere spectators. The officer-in-charge of the squad, Sanjoy Chakraborty, said: “We reached the spot and kept a watch on the situation.”

The agitators had come from Pondali, one of the pockets from where the land was acquired. They said they used to grow paddy and vegetables on the land and had become jobless now. Shamina Chand, who claimed her husband was a labourer on the land, said: “He became unemployed after the acquisition. He is now ill and I need money for treatment. The government hasn’t pay our compensation yet. I also want a job in the construction work.”

The five-hour agitation was withdrawn around 2pm after district magistrate .S. Meena invited the agitators for talks.

The Telegraph, 4 January, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110104/jsp/nation/story_13389311.jsp


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