Farmers may be told to return money for acquired land

“The modalities of sending notices to farmers are yet to be decided and a formal decision has not yet been taken. But the process is likely to begin soon,” said an official.

District Magistrate Anil Kumar said the matter was under examination. “The High Court’s order and its legalities are being studied. No decision on sending notices has been taken yet. But we are examining the issue,” he said,refusing to elaborate.

The SP government is reportedly keen on reviving power projects that have an approved coal linkage. Karchhana is one such power project. It was awarded to the Jaypee group,which also got the nearby Bara power plant,where work is in progress.

Officials said there are many legal issues that need to be first sorted out. “For instance,it is generally understood that farmers will not be in a position to pay back the compensation amount. In such a situation,we will require legal advice,” said an official.

The proceedings for land acquisition in Karchchana had begun in 2007. But by 2011,the agitation against land acquisition became intense and even violent. Many villagers had approached the High Court,which cancelled the land acquisition in April.

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Raj Bahadur Patel,who was at the forefront of the agitation against land acquisition in Karchchana,added a new dimension.

He said: “We were never against the power plant. The agitation was a result of the previous government and the private company backing out on their promises. Now,we want the new government to implement its electoral promise of giving compensation at six times the circle rate.”