Farmers in the state have protested against the unfair land acquisition procedure followed by the Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA) for constructing the new capital, Naya Raipur. At least 97 separate petitions filed in 2011 by the farmers are still pending in the Chhattisgarh high court. The affected farmers have demanded a better rate of compensation for their lands. Under the New Raipur Master Plan2031, the NRDA acquired over 8,000 hectares of land from the residents of 27 villages to develop the core of Naya Raipur. The complete project includes 41 villages. The acquisition has affected over 5,000 farmers so far who have lost their fertile lands. The conflict started in 2005 after the state government banned the sale and purchase of land within a 30kilometre radius of Raipur as it wanted to acquire the land, which was primarily agricultural land. This made the villagers dependent on the compensation rate offered by the state government, which they considered inadequate and lesser than the market value of the land. In February 2012, the high court stayed the land acquisition proceedings owing to allegations of coercion and fraud. But a different judge immediately lifted the stay order. In the same year, the affected farmers, under the banner of Naya Rajdhani Prabhavit Kisan Kalyan Samiti, submitted an appeal to the president of India, who was to inaugurate the capital. They also submitted a memorandum to the NRDA and the state chief secretary. On November 7, 2017, 117 residents of Rakhi village were arrested and detained for two hours as they were protesting against forceful evacuations and the subsequent demolition of 21 houses. Reportedly, the administration denied compensation and rehabilitation to the house owners, claiming that the houses were illegally constructed. In February 2018, affected farmers, labourers, businessmen and the unemployed youths organised a march to Bilaspur with the support of local political leaders and organisations. The movement was called 'Hamar Adhikar De'. On May 1, 2018, over 1,500 farmers, who organised themselves under the banner of Kisan Kalyan Samiti, marched from Raipur to Bilaspur. Upon reaching Bilaspur on May 4, the farmers sat on a strike outside the high court and submitted a memorandum listing their demands and complaints. They also requested the court to conduct hearings for the petitions filed. The farmers alleged that the state government was delaying the distribution of compensation, employment and allocation of new landholdings promised under the rehabilitation policy. They also accused the authorities of acquiring their land by fraudulent means and at meagre rates. In August 2019, the Chhattisgarh high court ruled in favour of one of the petitioners by directing the NRDA to allocate land in place of the land acquired to the petitioner. However, many of the cases are still pending. Meanwhile, the construction work is halted due to the COVID19 pandemic restrictions.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Complaint against procedural violations
Demand for more compensation than promised
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Type of Land
Both
Non-Forest (Grazing Land), Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
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?
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):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Central/State Government Policy
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Delay in compensation
Incorrect estimation of compensation
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
High Court of Chhattisgarh
Case Number
W.P.(C) No. 2432 of 2017; WPC No. 792 of 2018
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Arrest/detention/imprisonment
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
The police arrested 117 residents of the village and detained them for two hours as they were protesting against forceful evacuations and the subsequent demolition of 21 houses.
Date of Violation
November 7, 2017
Location of Violation
Rakhi village
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Naya Raipur Development Authority
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
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:
Nayi Raajdhaani Prabhaavit Kisaan Kalyaan Samiti
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?
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