NTPC to follow WBPDCL's rehabilitation package

Country's largest power company NTPC is expected to follow the rehabilitation package offered by West Bengal Power Development Corporation for land acquisition for the proposed 1,600-MW Katwa thermal power project in the state.

NTPC had decided to go ahead with land acquisition directly from land owners, after the state government said it will not acquire any land for any commercial project. "We have deployed our officials who are making a survey of land for the Katwa thermal power project and we will be following the West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) package for acquisition," an NTPC official told PTI.

"We are working closely with panchayat and land department officials," the official said. NTPC has deployed four-five company officials to make a survey for additional 500-600 acres contiguous to the 480 acres of land already acquired by WBPDCL.

The project was initiated by WBPDCL but was transferred to NTPC after it failed to acquire land during the Left Front regime. NTPC has decided to go ahead with the power project with 1,000-1,100 acres, down from the earlier proposed 1,625 acres from 16 mouzas (districts). Though it would take at least 3-4 months for a detailed survey, the initial feedback from the land owners is favourable, NTPC officials said.

"We have noticed emergence of some brokers who are trying to misguide farmers and land owners. But we are not facing any problem so far from them as acquisition is yet to begin," a company official said. There had been reports that land brokers were trying to buy land from the owners in disguise of NTPC officials. Katwa block, with 32 villages, is largely dependent on agriculture and allied activities.