Uttar Pradesh
Devari, Kachari, Katka-Medhra, Dehli, Dohlipur, Bagesar, Kachara and Bhitar.
,
Karchana
,
Allahabad
Published :
Sep 2016
|
Updated :
Farmers oppose Karchana Power plant
Reported by
Rama Shanker Singh
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
2286
People affected
2007
Year started
645
Land area affected
Households affected
2286
People Affected
2007
Year started
645
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Power
Reason/Cause of conflict
Thermal Power Plant
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Power
Reason/Cause of conflict
Thermal Power Plant
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

In 2007, the then Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government of Uttar Pradesh proposed the Karchana power plant project. Around 2,500 bighas of land was acquired from 2,286 farmers in eight villages. The project was handed over to Jaypee Group in 2009. The project never took off due to consistent and often violent protests by the farmers over compensation. The farmers were unhappy with the compensation offered to them for the land. After the end of the Mayawati government in 2012, Jaypee Group was reluctant to execute the project. However, the officials claim that the reluctance was mainly due to political uncertainty in the state and not the opposition to land acquisition. The Uttar Pradesh Government then took initiative to revive the power plant since the state has already made arrangements for coal and water linkages for the project and asked Jaypee group to make efforts to resume talks with farmers. However, in April 2013, Allahabad High Court allowed writ petitions of the farmers and again stalled the project. The court ordered that farmers who had already taken the compensation should either return the money and take back the land or willingly hand over the land for the project. The Allahabad High Court quashed the state governments notification for the acquisition of 650 hectare of land under the urgency clause of the Land Acquisition Act of 1984 and said farmers who had already received the compensation for their land should either return the money and take back the land or willingly hand over the land for the project. The Jaypee group backed out in 2013 saying that the proposed project was unviable at the rates it had quoted to bag the project in 2009 and the total land required for the project was not handed over yet".. In 2014, the Karchana power project was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam by the Samajwadi Party (SP) government. After 2014, the farmers changed their stance and said they are ready to call off their protest if any agreement is reached. Earlier, the farmers were in strict opposition to the power plant regardless of any improvement in the compensation offered to them. Now they were ready to give up their land for better compensation. In 2018, the UP government decided to privatize the power plant. Om Dutta Singh, a grassroot activist at Karchana told LCW that protests have been infrequent after the project was stalled. There is no construction on the site. This was also confirmed by Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation, an organization fighting for Environmental equity in the Parts of UP and Chhattisgarh.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

10000

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

NTPC

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

PUCL, AIPF AND SOME OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, JAN SANGHARSH SAMANWAY SAMITI AND KISAN KALYAN SANGHARSH SAMITI

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Rama Shanker Singh


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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Complaint against procedural violations

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

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