Land owners have threatened to launch a major agitation and movement against the land acquisition of central public sector Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) at Nituria Block of Purulia district for its upcoming open cast coal mines project.

Coal behemoth ECL, which has its headquarters in Sanctoria of West Burdwan district has planned to set up the open cast coal mines on a virgin coal block and requires 300 acres of land for the proposed project in Bhamuria and Parbelia mouzas.

About nine lakh tonne of coal is reserved in this virgin coal block in Gosaidih of Bhamuria gram panchayat in Nituria block of Purulia district and Saltore mouza of Parbelia.

Villagers of twelve villages under Bhamuria and Saltore gram panchayat have started agitation under the umbrella of Jomi Rakshya Committee (an apolitical organization) after the initial land survey work for the ECL Open Cast Coal Mine (OCP) project started a few days ago.

The villagers have said that they are unwilling to provide their land for the open cast coal mines project and are keen on continuing agriculture on the said land.

Anil Kumar Singh, general manager of Sodepur Area of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) has said that the central public sector coal producer has planned to start an open cast coal mine in Purulia district. The project work is in preliminary stages and survey work has just begun.

The compensation per decimal of land is Rs 14,000, but villagers said that they have not received any compensation so far for its previous acquisitions.

Biplab Marandi, a local Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader said that the villagers have already started an agitation and will start movement on the issue in the coming days.

“The land character is agricultural and the villagers depend on farming, though it is mostly mono crop land, but there are also lands, where multiple cultivations take place. Villagers fear that after a few years, after the underground coal stock is exhausted, the company will shut down the mine and they will lose their earnings,” he added.

So far there has not been any official statement from the local civil or police administration or the ruling party on this issue.

ECL sources claim that the project will generate local employment opportunities. Though the surface land belonged to the local villagers, the underground coal stock is a national property.