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Farmers Stall Construction of Thermal Plant in Bihar's Bhagalpur, Allege Irregularities in Compensation

Reported by

Alok

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

September 1, 2016

May 17, 2022

Edited on

September 1, 2016

State

Bihar

Sector

Power

People Affected by Conflict

2000

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

477

ha

Starting Year

2014

Location of Conflict

Bhagalpur

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Thermal Power Plant

Land Conflict Summary

In 2014, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Pirpainti Bijlee Company, Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited and NHPC Limited to set up a supercritical 1,320megawatt thermal power plant at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district. The land acquisition for the project was estimated to be completed by 2016 along with obtaining the necessary approvals. However, the project was unsuccessful on both counts.
On January 11, 2016, it was reported that the plant was pending approval from the Public Investment Board and Cabinet SubCommittee on Economic Affairs; meanwhile NHPC in Bhagalpur was yet to acquire 300 acres of the required 1,179 acres. The MoU expired on February 22, 2016, and an extension was sought from the Union government. In the same year, officials from the Department of Revenue and Land Reforms held talks with farmers who had organised themselves under the banner of Kisan Chetna and Utthan Samiti, alleging irregularity in the payment of compensation, among other issues. Villagers stalled construction work of the boundary wall at the site of the proposed power plant, calling for speedy resolution of the matter. In 2018, the thermal power plant was scrapped and instead a solar power plant was proposed to be installed under the aegis of NTPC Limited. Additionally, the district administration of Bhagalpur urged the Union government to disburse INR 200 crore as compensation for those who had previously given up their land for the thermal plant. This was in lieu of the fact that in 2014, the district land acquisition officer, along with an accomplice, was responsible for siphoning off around INR 270 crore of the compensation money. The Central Bureau of Investigation took up the case. In 2021, it was reported that for the proposed 250megawatt solar plant, the state government has already acquired 1,350 acres of the required land with 25 acres remaining.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for compensation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

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

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

722

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Section 13(1)(d) [Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by abuse of position as a public servant]
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 420 [Cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property]; Section 467 [Forgery of any security to receive principal amounts]; Section 471 [Use of forged document or electronic record as genuine]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 77 [Collector must tender compensation to interested persons upon making of award]; Section 80 [Payment of interest when compensation is not paid upon possession of land]
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  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:

Delay in compensation

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Incorrect estimation of compensation

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Pending

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Bihar at Patna

Case Number

Cr. Misc. No.76182 of 2019, Cr. Misc. No. 33334 of 2019, Cr. Misc. No. 60402 of 2019

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

Blockades

Development of a network or collective

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority, Department of Revenue and Land Reforms

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

NHPC Limited, Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Pirpainti Bijlee Company

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Kisan Morcha Sangharsh Samiti, Kisan Chetna Evam Uthan 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 2014, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Pirpainti Bijlee Company, Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited and NHPC Limited to set up a supercritical 1,320megawatt thermal power plant at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district. The land acquisition for the project was estimated to be completed by 2016 along with obtaining the necessary approvals. However, the project was unsuccessful on both counts.
On January 11, 2016, it was reported that the plant was pending approval from the Public Investment Board and Cabinet SubCommittee on Economic Affairs; meanwhile NHPC in Bhagalpur was yet to acquire 300 acres of the required 1,179 acres. The MoU expired on February 22, 2016, and an extension was sought from the Union government. In the same year, officials from the Department of Revenue and Land Reforms held talks with farmers who had organised themselves under the banner of Kisan Chetna and Utthan Samiti, alleging irregularity in the payment of compensation, among other issues. Villagers stalled construction work of the boundary wall at the site of the proposed power plant, calling for speedy resolution of the matter. In 2018, the thermal power plant was scrapped and instead a solar power plant was proposed to be installed under the aegis of NTPC Limited. Additionally, the district administration of Bhagalpur urged the Union government to disburse INR 200 crore as compensation for those who had previously given up their land for the thermal plant. This was in lieu of the fact that in 2014, the district land acquisition officer, along with an accomplice, was responsible for siphoning off around INR 270 crore of the compensation money. The Central Bureau of Investigation took up the case. In 2021, it was reported that for the proposed 250megawatt solar plant, the state government has already acquired 1,350 acres of the required land with 25 acres remaining.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Demand for compensation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

722

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Section 13(1)(d) [Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by abuse of position as a public servant]
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 420 [Cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property]; Section 467 [Forgery of any security to receive principal amounts]; Section 471 [Use of forged document or electronic record as genuine]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 77 [Collector must tender compensation to interested persons upon making of award]; Section 80 [Payment of interest when compensation is not paid upon possession of land]
  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:

Delay in compensation

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Incorrect estimation of compensation

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Pending

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Bihar at Patna

Case Number

Cr. Misc. No.76182 of 2019, Cr. Misc. No. 33334 of 2019, Cr. Misc. No. 60402 of 2019

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

Blockades

Development of a network or collective

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority, Department of Revenue and Land Reforms

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

NHPC Limited, Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Pirpainti Bijlee Company

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Kisan Morcha Sangharsh Samiti, Kisan Chetna Evam Uthan 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 Bihar

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