The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Compensation for land givers

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Sunday, Mar 23, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Compensation for land givers

Special Correspondent

— Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

MARKING THE INAUGURATION: Justice A. Kulasekaran of Madras High Court lighting the lamp at the Lok Adalat session in Neyveli on Saturday. NLC Chairman-cum-Managing Director S.Jayaraman (second from right), is in the picture.

NEYVELI: Justice A. Kulasekaran, a Judge of Madras High Court, inaugurated the two-day Lok Adalat session in Neyveli Lignite Corporation here on Saturday.

While speaking on the occasion, Mr. Justice Kulasekaran said the Lok Adalat facilitated speedy justice. It was being held in the NLC now to award compensation to those who had provided land to the corporation for its new projects.

Till now the compensation was pegged at Rs 1.50 lakh an acre, but now it had been enhanced to Rs 5 lakh an acre for wet land and dry land with crops, and 85 per cent of Rs 5 lakh for dry land.

The Judge further said that the NLC was the first public sector undertaking to implement the National Policy on Rehabilitation and Resettlement-2007 (R&R policy). Apart from getting compensation, the land-providers would also be entitled to 750 days’ wages, amounting to Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

The Judge also stated that for the economic growth of the country, electricity was crucial.

Hence, he appreciated the land-providers for handing over the lands in the interests of augmenting power generation.

NLC Chairman-cum-Managing Director S. Jayaraman said NLC would fully implement the R&R policy. He thanked the land-providers and stated that besides monetary compensation they would be entitled to other benefits as provided under the policy.

District Principal Sessions Court Judge R. Ramakrishnan said by giving away lands to the power projects, the owners would derive satisfaction for having contributed their mite for a public cause.

Lok Adalat president K. Govindarajan, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, said that by parting with their lands the owners had lit the lights in several homes and powered the growth of industry and economy.

In the current phase the NLC has proposed to acquire 2,600 acres from 3,400 land- owners at a financial outgo of Rs 130 crore. The current sitting of the Lok Adalat would acquire 200 acre from 183 persons and pay a compensation of Rs 10 crore.

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