National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is seriously considering withdrawal of its mega-hydel power project, conceived over 20 years ago near Ranchi, as the Jharkhand government headed by chief minister Babulal Marandi has failed like his successive counterparts of the undivided Bihar to deliver the required land belonging to scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST).
The 710 mw multipurpose Koel-Karo project was hanging since its clearance by the Public Investment Board (PIB) of the Union government is 1981 at an estimated cost of Rs 391.83 crore. The cost has now overrun to Rs 1,600 crore if the project now starts.
The project is to come up on the Koel and Karo rivers in the districts of Ranchi and Gumla. The locals have been protesting against the project apprehending large-scale socio-economic and cultural displacement. The agitation against the project reached so much so that the state government officials could not undertake survey work.
The project office of the NHPC is located at Torpa where a good number of engineers headed by a chief engineer and other office staff have been sitting idle year after year as they have no work.
The firing early this year near the project site at Tapkara created fear amongst the project employees which led to the death of several activists of the "Koel-Karo Jan Sangathan," the organisation which is spearheading the agitation against the project for the last several years.
Meanwhile, apprehending the possibility of withdrawal of the project by NHPC, the Jharkhand government has prepared a compensation package for the families to the displaced for the implementation of the proposed project.
According to official estimates over six thousand families spread across 44 villages will be affected by the project.
The Jharkhand government's compensation package mentioned that no family will be physically displaced till alternative arrangement for them is made. It also mentioned that every affected family will get work contract up to Rs 10 lakh, besides each displaced family will be provided with 25 decimal of land for construction of new house.
Besides, cash compensation to the displaced families, the government will provide safeguard for the religious and cultural heritage of the tribal population of area.
The state government has decided to form a regional committee for implementation of the project with MLAs and MPs along with senior government officials.
Locals in the project area said that the proposed package of the Jharkhand government for the displaced people did not have any new thing. It was a duplicate copy of the NHPC's offer made earlier.
