14 years on, land acquired in Mansa village remains unused
The land, situated in Gobindpura village within the Budhlada sub-division, was forcibly acquired in March 2011 by the erstwhile SAD-BJP govt for a 1,320 MW power plant to be built by Peona Power, a subsidiary of India Bulls. The acquisition was met with fierce resistance from villagers, leading to nearly two years of protests marked by violent clashes. On Aug 2, 2011, farmer Surjit Singh from Hamidi village lost his life, and numerous others sustained injuries during confrontations with police.
Today, residents are not only grappling with the unfulfilled promise of development but also the nuisance of wild boars and neelgai emanating from the overgrown, unused land, damaging crops and disrupting daily life.
"Not even a single brick has been laid in these 14 years after the state govt acquired 750 acres of land against the wishes of landowners," said Gurlal Singh Gobindpura, a local resident whose family was at the forefront of the original protests.
by Taboola
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"It has turned into a jungle from where wild animals cause trouble to villagers and damage crops," he added.
While the govt initially offered Rs 23.68 lakh per acre, agitation by farmer organisations like BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) ultimately compelled an increase in compensation to Rs 25.68 lakh per acre. Despite the enhanced payout, the promised development remains elusive.
Mansa deputy commissioner Kulwant Singh acknowledged the lack of progress. He confirmed that developmental activity has been stalled because certain critical stretches of land could not be acquired, preventing the consolidation of the entire tract. Singh also confirmed villagers' complaints about wild animals due to the prolonged disuse of the land.
"The industrial house now has plans to set up a solar plant on the acquired land, and a project report is being prepared," the DC said.
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