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Over 15,000 farmers to Lose Land for Cement Plants in Nawalgarh

Reported by

Manish Tiwari

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

October 19, 2016

May 17, 2022

Edited on

October 19, 2016

State

Rajasthan

Sector

Mining

People Affected by Conflict

45000

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

5769

ha

Starting Year

2006

Location of Conflict

Nawalgarh

Jhunjhunu

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Limestone Mining

Land Conflict Summary

In 2006, cement giants Ultratech Cement, Shree Cement, India Cements came to limestonerich Nawalgarh, in Jhunjhunu, to set up cement plants. Limestone is an important raw material in cement production. The state government declared 5,769 hectares as land of "little agricultural importance", and notified it for the plants and ancillary mines. The government has granted 4,600 ha of land to Ultratech Cement (Aditya Birla Group), 780 ha to Shree Cement of Rajasthan and 825 ha to India Cements. Ninety per cent of the notified area is, reportedly, privateowned. About 15,000 farmers and their families across 21 villages stand to lose their land. Since 2010, the farmers began protests in the region and in front of Sub Divisional Magistrate's office against the acquisition. Lately, people of the neighbouring villages have also joined the protest. They are apprehensive of the effect the cement plants can have on the environment, especially groundwater. The conflict is not for more compensation but to retain their land for agriculture purposes. As per the government proposal, the farmers would be given an amount of Rs 18 lakh for one hectare of irrigated land and Rs 17 lakh for one hectare of unirrigated or rainfed land. The landowners are protesting the acquisition of their fertile land which gives them three crops a year. They also accuse the government of taking a decision without consulting the people and without following the procedure of land acquisition transparently. The government claims public consultations were held and notifications were issued in local dailies. Shree Cement Company had requested the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) to acquire land for its plant. Reportedly, India Cements withdrew its plans for setting up the Plant while land acquisition for other two companies is ongoing despite years of protests from the affected people. Bhumi Adhigrahan Virodhi Kisan Sangarsh Samiti, the platform organising the protests had alleged that there have been incidences of violation of rules and procedures. The Rajasthan Land Tenancy Act prohibits buying land of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, but it is reported that the companies are buying land in the name of their agents and employees. As of June 2021, Shree Cements is in the process of acquiring the land. It has been reported that the company announced that it will also set up solar power plants with capacity up to 106 MWp there as part of its plans to develop an integrated cement plant.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Refusal to give up land for the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Project underway despite protests

Original Project Deadline

2022

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Yes

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Water bodies, Agricultural land, Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

1660

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Section 11 [The Collector has the power to take possession of land on making an award of compensation to the affected families. The land shall vest absolutely with the government, free of all encumbrances]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 24(2) [Land acquisition proceedings under the 1894 Act shall be deemed to lapse if the state has not taken physical possession or paid the compensation within five years from the commencement of the 2013 LARR Act]; Section 27 [Amount of compensation is determined under this section]; Section 77 [Compensation is to be paid under this section]; Section 80 [Under this section, when compensation is not paid or if there is delay, interest becomes payable]; Second Schedule [Provides for the extent and manner of rehabilitation]
Pune Municipal Corporation and Anr. v. Harakchand Misirimal Solanki and Ors. (Civil Appeal No. 877 of 2014, Supreme Court)
S.4 [Publication of preliminary notification to acquire land for a company]; S.5A [Hearing of objections from persons interest in the land to be acquired]; S.11 [Determination of compensation by the collector.]
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
S.24 [Prohibition of disposal of polluting matter in a stream or on land.]
Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956
S. 89 [Right to all mines, including right to access land for the purposes of mining, vests with the state government and can be assigned by it to any person.]
Mineral Concession Rules, 1960
Rule 22(3)(h) and provisos [Application for mining lease shall be accompanied by consent of the owners of surface rights provided that (a) it may be furnished after execution of the lease deed but before entry into the said area and (b) no such statement shall be necessary where the land is owned by the Government.]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of FRA

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Yes

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Rajasthan High Court

Case Number

S.B. Civil Writ Petition Nos. 14317, 10659 & 13006 of 2009

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

State Government

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Ultratech Cement, Shree Cement and India Cements

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Bhumi Adhigrahan Virodhi Kisan Sangarsh Samiti

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

In 2006, cement giants Ultratech Cement, Shree Cement, India Cements came to limestonerich Nawalgarh, in Jhunjhunu, to set up cement plants. Limestone is an important raw material in cement production. The state government declared 5,769 hectares as land of "little agricultural importance", and notified it for the plants and ancillary mines. The government has granted 4,600 ha of land to Ultratech Cement (Aditya Birla Group), 780 ha to Shree Cement of Rajasthan and 825 ha to India Cements. Ninety per cent of the notified area is, reportedly, privateowned. About 15,000 farmers and their families across 21 villages stand to lose their land. Since 2010, the farmers began protests in the region and in front of Sub Divisional Magistrate's office against the acquisition. Lately, people of the neighbouring villages have also joined the protest. They are apprehensive of the effect the cement plants can have on the environment, especially groundwater. The conflict is not for more compensation but to retain their land for agriculture purposes. As per the government proposal, the farmers would be given an amount of Rs 18 lakh for one hectare of irrigated land and Rs 17 lakh for one hectare of unirrigated or rainfed land. The landowners are protesting the acquisition of their fertile land which gives them three crops a year. They also accuse the government of taking a decision without consulting the people and without following the procedure of land acquisition transparently. The government claims public consultations were held and notifications were issued in local dailies. Shree Cement Company had requested the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) to acquire land for its plant. Reportedly, India Cements withdrew its plans for setting up the Plant while land acquisition for other two companies is ongoing despite years of protests from the affected people. Bhumi Adhigrahan Virodhi Kisan Sangarsh Samiti, the platform organising the protests had alleged that there have been incidences of violation of rules and procedures. The Rajasthan Land Tenancy Act prohibits buying land of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, but it is reported that the companies are buying land in the name of their agents and employees. As of June 2021, Shree Cements is in the process of acquiring the land. It has been reported that the company announced that it will also set up solar power plants with capacity up to 106 MWp there as part of its plans to develop an integrated cement plant.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Refusal to give up land for the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Forest

Total investment involved (in Crores):

1660

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Section 11 [The Collector has the power to take possession of land on making an award of compensation to the affected families. The land shall vest absolutely with the government, free of all encumbrances]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 24(2) [Land acquisition proceedings under the 1894 Act shall be deemed to lapse if the state has not taken physical possession or paid the compensation within five years from the commencement of the 2013 LARR Act]; Section 27 [Amount of compensation is determined under this section]; Section 77 [Compensation is to be paid under this section]; Section 80 [Under this section, when compensation is not paid or if there is delay, interest becomes payable]; Second Schedule [Provides for the extent and manner of rehabilitation]
Pune Municipal Corporation and Anr. v. Harakchand Misirimal Solanki and Ors. (Civil Appeal No. 877 of 2014, Supreme Court)
S.4 [Publication of preliminary notification to acquire land for a company]; S.5A [Hearing of objections from persons interest in the land to be acquired]; S.11 [Determination of compensation by the collector.]
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
S.24 [Prohibition of disposal of polluting matter in a stream or on land.]
Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956
S. 89 [Right to all mines, including right to access land for the purposes of mining, vests with the state government and can be assigned by it to any person.]
Mineral Concession Rules, 1960
Rule 22(3)(h) and provisos [Application for mining lease shall be accompanied by consent of the owners of surface rights provided that (a) it may be furnished after execution of the lease deed but before entry into the said area and (b) no such statement shall be necessary where the land is owned by the Government.]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation/violation of FRA

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Yes

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Rajasthan High Court

Case Number

S.B. Civil Writ Petition Nos. 14317, 10659 & 13006 of 2009

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Protests/marches

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

State Government

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Ultratech Cement, Shree Cement and India Cements

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Bhumi Adhigrahan Virodhi Kisan Sangarsh Samiti

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Rajasthan

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