NTPC officials skip meeting, agitators hold their ground in Barkagaon

Hazaribag: Officials of NTPC’s Pakri-Barwadih coal project in Barkagaon block on Friday skipped the meeting convened by North Chotanagpur divisional commissioner Kamal John Lakra to end the impasse caused by the ongoing protests by displaced families demanding better compensation.

NTPC officials abstained from the meeting, which was convened as per the directives of state land reforms and revenue department, claiming that they won’t participate unless the locals withdraw their protest and allow work to resume at the mines.

The meeting, which was presided by Lakra, was held at the district circuit house. Deputy commissioner Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh, also a part of the committee, did not attend the meeting as he is in quarantine. SDO Megha Bharadwaj attended the meet in place of Singh. Barkagaon’s Congress MLA Amba Prasad, who is spearheading the agitation of the displaced families, attended the meet.

The committee under Lakra visited the site of protests at Pakri-Barwadih and Cheplala and urged the locals to withdraw their dharna until the committee submits the findings of its enquiry to the state government within a month (as mandated). “The raiyyats (land owners) have not relented, but they have decided to call for fresh consultations with their leaders,” Lakra said.

Around 8,000 raiyyats are demanding monetary compensation and jobs as per the 2013 Land acquisition law of the Centre. The state government has also sought a report seeking whether adequate compensations were given under the 2013 law. Prasad, during the Jharkhand Assembly’s budget session in March, had claimed the land in Barkagaon was acquired and compensation was given under provisions of the Coal Bearing Areas Act of 1957.