Cuttack, March 22: A petition filed in Orissa High Court has challenged the legality of land acquisition proceedings initiated by the state government for the K.V.K. Nilachal Power’s thermal power plant at Kandarai under Athagarh tehsil in Cuttack district.

Snehalata Sethy (51), Laxman Rana (58), Laxmikanta Samant (67) and seven other villagers of Nijigada under Athagarh tehsil have filed the petition seeking quashing of the existing land acquisition notification and direction for fresh notification.

While deciding on the quantum of the compensation, the petitioners have also sought direction for enhancing market value of the land from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh per acre.

K.V.K. Nilachal Power is planning to set up a 1400MW (4X350MW) power project in two phases at Kandarai. The company initially plans to set up a 350MW plant. At a later stage, it plans to add three more plants of 350MW each at Kandarai.

The total land requirement for the project is 984 acres, of which around 158 acres is forestland.

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

But statutory directives were not adhered to while issuing resolution for publication of notices to acquire 540.961 acres of land at Rahangola (254.821 acres), Kandarai (114.440 acres), Dalua (65.930) and Khanduali (107.770 acres). According to the norms, land acquisition notices were to be published in at least two newspapers within three days of taking the resolution. But, it was not done in this case.

The petitioners, therefore, were not given any chance to make any objections, the petition alleged.

“Besides, a socio-economic survey was not conducted within the stipulated 60 days’ timeframe from the date of the notification. Also, no action plan was taken to hold meeting following the clauses of the Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy,” the petition further alleged, while seeking quashing of the notification for land acquisition.

The petition also alleged that the land acquisition officer had issued notification as well as an order without taking into consideration any possible objection from the land losers.

Even though the area is declared as ‘B’ zone within Cuttack district, the administration had not taken any action to ensure legal protection to fix appropriate market value for deciding the amount of compensation for the land following the government directions of land acquisition and the Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, the petitioners regretted, while seeking direction for enhancing market value of land.

“The land acquisition notification is nothing but a harassment for the poor farmers of the locality in guise of industrialisation. Hence, it should be declared illegal and inoperative,” the petition contended.