Paradip, April 30: New betel vines have sprouted up along the sand-filled land of Gobindpur village in the past one year, leading farmers, who have grown it, to seek relief from the Jagatsinghpur district administration, which is acquiring land for Posco.
The administration has served notices on the encroachers to voluntarily pull down their vineyards, failing which it will dismantle such structures. The administration today pulled down two betel vines following a series of fake claim. “The officials were forced to suspend the operation midway. Owners of new vineyards today came forward to stake claim for compensation. We have rejected such bogus claims,” said special land acquisition officer Sarat Kumar Purohit.
Tomorrow, the land acquisition will progress in full swing and the new vineyards, which do not merit compensation payment, will also be pulled down as part of the drive.
Over 50 betel vineyards are newly built on the forestland for compensation award. But, these claims are not going to be honoured, said Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick.
Old betel vineyards have been surveyed using the global positioning system technology. So, the newly built vineyards can easily be identified, he said.
There has been a mushrooming growth of betel vineyards at Gobindpur. Local people eyeing on the compensation doles have erected the barricaded vineyards. The vineyards are bereft of full-grown betel vines.
Gobindpur accounts for 858 acres of forestland. According to the survey, the betel vine-rich area has about 250 standing vineyards earmarked from acquisition for the project. Fifty-three betel vines have been acquired during the ongoing land acquisition drive.
Over 300 fresh-laid vineyards dot the area much to the worry of the authorities. As claims and counter-claims fly thick and fast, the administration has decided to turn down the fake claims.
“The administration has encountered such disturbing trends of new vines, which did not thrive before the land acquisition process commenced earlier this month. Officials are not going to be taken in for a ride. Owners of the fresh-laid vineyards are not entitled for payment against loss of betel vines,” said Mallick.
To make the land acquisition process foolproof and free from discrepancies, the Global Positioning System mode of measurement is being followed. The land measurement process is also mechanised. The dismantling drive of betel vines and cheque compensation payment to the land loser are being videographed. The standing betel vineyards were surveyed and enumerated prior to the resumption of the land acquisition. So, people trying to grab compensation against non-existing betel vineyards will not succeed in their design, said Paradip additional district magistrate Surajit Das.