Debra, Oct. 30: The West Midnapore zilla parishad has stalled the purchase of land for an approach road to a bridge completed in 2007 after some villagers refused to give their plots saying residents of a hamlet across the river were being paid 15 times more.

Although the bridge on the Kangshabati was completed nearly a decade ago, the then Left government dragged its feet on acquiring land for the approach roads after the agitations in Singur and Nandigram.

It was in 2014-15 that the Trinamul-run zilla parishad took an initiative to buy land from the villagers to build the roads on the northern and southern sides. The district public works department had in 2007 allotted Rs 9 crore for the entire project.

Officials said the concrete bridge would help over 2 lakh residents of at least 170 villages. At present, two bamboo bridges exist across the Kanshabati river that can take motorcycles and small cars. But buses ply only in the summer when the river dries up.

Trouble started early this month when the zilla parishad began purchasing land.

While the rural body has already purchased 2.5 bighas of the 4 bighas required in Fatobar on the northern side at Rs 6.8 lakh a cottah, farmers in Naharipur on the southern side, who are being paid Rs 48,000 a cottah, have raised objections.

Twenty cottahs make up a bigha.

Zilla parishad officials told this paper that the rates for the plots had been fixed after a detailed study of at least 16 land deals in the area over the past few months.

Saibal Giri, a zilla parishad functionary who is in charge of public works, said: "Property records show that land in Fatobar, where most of the commercial establishments are located, is valued at Rs 6 lakh a cottah. Naraharipur is predominantly a residential area where land prices cannot be the same as in a commercial zone."

The residents of Naraharipur have, however, rejected such sharp difference price.

Arjun Singha, a farmer whose one-cottah plot has been identified to build the approach road, said: "Fatobar and Naraharipur are neighbouring villages. But the zilla parishad is offering them around 15 times more. We will not give our land at such a low price."

Nisith Kumar Singha, who owns a medicine shop most of which will be taken up if the road is to be built, said the villagers were not opposed to selling their plots, but not at the rate they were being offered.

"We will not give our plots at such a rate. If necessary, we will move court," he said.

The villagers have been protesting any attempt by the zilla parishad to acquire land under an umbrella called the Naraharipur Bhumi Committee.

Madhusudan Dey Poddar, the owner of a cloth store in Fatobar on the northern side, said: "I will give about half-a-cottah of my land where the cloth store now stands. I am giving it in public interest."

Giri said attempts were being made to convince the residents of Naraharipur.

"We will go to the house of each and every villager whose land has been identified for the approach road and try to convince them," he said.