Calcutta, Nov. 4: The government today worked out a compensation package for 6,000 acres to be acquired in the Sunderbans to build embankments washed away because of cyclone Aila in May.

There was no official announcement on the amount to be offered but sources said it could be between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh an acre.

The deal worked out by land minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah, Sunderbans minister Kanti Ganguly and irrigation minister Subhas Naskar will be submitted to the chief minister for approval.

“We need 14,000 acres for the thousands of kilometres of embankments washed away but we have decided to acquire 6,000 acres to begin with,” Mollah said.

He ruled out discussing the package with South 24-Parganas panchayat officials, who belong to the Trinamul Congress, and the Trinamul leader in charge of the district, Sovan Chatterjee, did not rule out resistance to the acquisition. “The government should talk to us and get the project executed through the zilla parishad. If that is not done, how can we say the acquisition will be smooth?’’ he asked.

According to the package, landowners will get the value of the land fixed by the government plus 30 per cent of it as solatium and an interest of 12 per cent a year from the date of declaration of the valuation till the disbursal of cheques. Registered sharecroppers will be offered 50 per cent of the value of their land and Rs 34,000.