Bengal govt agrees to help NTPC buy land for Katwa project

With the clearing of the last hurdle, the long-delayed project is finally set to take off

The West Bengal government has finally agreed to mediate and help NTPC to buy 220 acres for its Rs 8,000 crore proposed power project in Barddhaman's Katwa, clearing the last hurdle for the long delayed plant.

The project was stuck for several years following the change of government and its land policy in West Bengal.

State-run NTPC had planned a 1,320-MW (2X660 MW plant) thermal power at Katwa over 1000 acres of land. The Left Front government had acquired 556 acres for the project. The project configuration was revised downwards to accommodate the Mamata Banerjee- government's land acquisition policy. Still, NTPC was in need of another 250 acres at least to take forward the project.

Earlier, this year, the state government announced the transfer of 98 acres lying with several government departments to NTPC. The power major intended to buy 220 acres directly from the farmers.

"But without the help of the administration we could not even make direct purchase of the land. We are happy that the state government has realised this," said an NTPC official.

The sub-divison officer (SDO) has already mediated in the direct purchase of the land recently. Members of all political parties too have been consulted. "The owners have agreed to sell their land. There would be no problem at least regarding land," local MLA Rabindranath Chatterjee, who attended the meeting, said. Owners of over 150 acres have already given their consent to sell land. According to sources, the land owners are likely to be paid about Rs 15 lakh per acre.

With the clearing of the land-hurdle, NTPC chairman Arup Chowdhury is likely to visit the plant site on June 14. The board of the company has already given the final go ahead in the project.