The stretch of land in Nabinagar where the power plant will be built. Telegraph picture

Patna, April 28: The Bihar government has set the ball rolling to acquire the remaining 953 acres of land for the Nabinagar thermal power plant in Aurangabad district.

The revenue and land reforms department has directed the Aurangabad district magistrate (DM) to verify the land records, the transfer of which is being resisted by local residents, before actually handing them over for the power project.

The government plans to set up a mega power project at Nabinagar, 140km south of Patna, which, after commissioning, would generate 3,300 MW of electricity. For this, a joint venture entity National Power Generation Company (NPGC), in which the Bihar State Electricity Board and National Thermal Power Corporation are stakeholders, has been floated. A total of 2,824 acres of land is required of which the government has already acquired 1,871 acres. It is facing problems regarding the remaining 953 acres because of resistance from a section of the local people who are claiming ownership.

“We have sent a detailed guideline to the Aurangabad DM to complete the process on a priority basis so that the formalities related to acquisition of land can be completed as soon as possible,” principal secretary, revenue and land reforms, C. Ashokvardhan told The Telegraph.

The department has asked the circle officers of Barun and Nabinagar, under which the remaining land of the project falls, to verify the ownership claims of the local people. “The land record verification work has been started and it would be completed on a priority basis,” Aurangabad DM Abhay Kumar Singh said.

A senior Aurangabad official, who is closely associated with the land acquisition work but who refused to be named, said: “Though the 953 acres of land fall under the various categories of government land, yet the verification is being done as during the zamindari system. The zamindars had the power to settle lands in private names. Verification of land records would help in identifying the genuine landowners. Such plots would be converted into ryati land. Due process of paying compensation to owners of such land would be followed in these cases.”

The settlement of land in the name of an individual gives him ownership right over the land. According to rules, in the case of land settled by zamindars before the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1952, came into effect, the government accepts the ownership right of the individual under whose name the land had been settled by the zamindars. This would be categorised as ryati land. Compensation would be paid to the owners of such land.

In case there is a confusion regarding the settlement dates, the circle concerned is supposed to examine the ownership rights, said the official.

He, however, made it clear that claims of people who have no genuine papers to prove ownership of land would not be entertained. Such land would be treated as state property and would be transferred to the power project by the government.

Another issue plaguing the project pertains to taking possession of those plots of land which have already been acquired as the owners are demanding more money as compensation. To resolve this issue, the Aurangabad DM has held several rounds of discussions with landowners.

“Landowners were clearly told that they have already been paid compensation in accordance with the rules. The administration would forward their demand only if they allow the work on the project to begin. The landowners appeared to be convinced,” Aurangabad district public relations officer B.K. Shukla told The Telegraph over phone from Aurangabad.

He said based on the discussions with villagers, a consensus was arrived at and it was decided that work on the project would start from Meh village. “To begin with, an office of NPGC would be set up at Meh,” he added.

The development assumes significance as on January 15 this year, Nabinagar had witnessed a violent protest by local residents against the project. They had set on fire an engine and a coach of a train, prompting the administration to use force to bring the situation under control.