Cuttack, April 11: The Orissa High Court today admitted a PIL challenging acquisition of 389 acres of forest land by the KVK Nilachal Power for setting up 1400mw (4X350mw) power project at Kandarai under Athagarh tehsil of Cuttack district.

Narendra Kumar Mohapatra (53) and three other residents of the area had filed the PIL alleging that the land, including reserve forest, was under the occupation of the KVK Nilachal Power and clearance of trees from the area was under process to start the project work.

“Acting on it, the two judge bench of Chief Justice V. Gopal Gowda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra issued notices to the Orissa government,” petitioners’ counsel Trilchan Barik told The Telegraph.

KVK Nilachal Power proposes to set up a coal-based power project in two phases. The first phase will be 250mw and the second one 1050mw. The total land requirement is 984 acres.

According to the petition, KVK Nilachal Power had sought administrative approval for acquisition of 541.381 acres of private land under the Athagarh tehsil. Subsequently, the Orissa government had issued a notification on December 12, 2008, for acquisition of land in four villages.

However, statutory directives were not adhered to while issuing resolution for publication of notices to acquire a total of 540.961 acres of land. The notices were not published in at least two newspapers within three days.

“A socio-economic survey was not conducted within the stipulated 60 days of the notification and no action plan was taken to hold meeting following the Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy,” the petition alleged, while seeking quashing of the notification for land acquisition.