PEOPLE in rural areas are surely waking
up to fight for their rights. A hundred
odd families belonging to two tiny
villages of Mitihini and Khairi in
Sonebha,dra district of Uttar Pradesh,
have drawn the battle lines against the
National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPc). They have stopped its attempts
to build an ash dyke plant on their
lands, situated on the banks of Rihand
Dam reservoir in the district.
The villagers are demanding either
a plot of agricultural land in lieu of
the land acquired by the NTWs Rihand
Super Thermal Power Project, or
employment on a permanent basis in
the company. NTPC on the other hand
claim that both the options are out of
their means.
But the NTPc had
included a1and-for-land'
option in its Rehabilitation Action Plan-while applying for a
World Bank loan of us
$1.2 billion. The company is offering compensation and alternate plots
for building houses,
However, the villagers
would lose their only
means. of subsistence
and ultimately starve if
they we not given agricultural lands.
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