Bokaro, Aug. 27: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)’s ambitious methane plant in Jharkhand has hit a hurdle with farmers refusing to give land unless their wards are given permanent jobs in the project.
ONGC’s hi-tech plant at Parbatpur, 32 km from Bokaro, is expected to produce one million cubic metres of methane gas per day from 2007 for industrial consumption, primarily for Bokaro Steel.
The production of methane gas is to start from 14 wells in Parbatpur for which final testing was completed months ago and more than 150 technical experts are working overnight, but the acquisition of land has not yet crossed the half-way mark, top ONGC sources said.
They said ONGC needs approximately 5 acres for each of its 14 sites and another 42 acres for its main station, from where all the wells would be connected. In all, the corporation needs about 112 acres and for that it has deposited Rs 4 crore to the district administration, much higher than the market rate. “But the farmers are adamant that if jobs are not assured, they will not give their land in spite of the high price they are getting,” said a source.
In a move to win over the local people of Parbatpur, ONGC officials today started welfare schemes in the area by distributing books, copies and other reading material among 1,800 children of primary and middle schools. Senior officers promised construction of better roads, health centres and other welfare schemes and assured the people a better future.
But this did not cut much ice with the people. Sources in Bokaro said vested interests have ensured that the project has a tough time. “Politicians are urging farmers to take their pound of flesh now as their claims will not be heard later,” said an official.
ONGC in-charge of the Parbatpur project, Anil Kumar Sachan, said the corporation was not in a position to offer direct jobs to farmers as only highly technical people are employed. “We are paying much more than the market value of the land. The delay in land acquisition is now affecting the pace of work,” he said.
