JOIN USAcquisition of land for the proposed Kovvada Nuclear Power Park (KNP) in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh might not be as smooth as the government has anticipated with the Left parties demanding proper public hearing in the affected villages and compensation to the oustees as per the 2013 Land Acquisition Act.
Toshiba Corp’s Westinghouse Electric will build the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)’s biggest power plant in Kovvada and its surroundings with a capacity of 9,540MW with six reactors of 1,593MW each.
With the need of new Environment Impact study thrust upon the NPCIL, following an upward revision in the capacity of the plant, the Srikakulam district administration speeded up its land acquisition process. In all, the district administration was to acquire 2,200 acres in three villages – Kovvada, Tekkali and Kotapalem. Of these, 1,500 acres belong to the government. However, the rest of the land has been under occupation by villagers for years.
The government is offering Rs 13 lakh per acre, an alternative house site and a job for the oustees who have proper ownership records.
The NPCIL, for its part, has already deposited Rs 389 crore with the Srikakulam district collector for distribution among the oustees.
“The government is trying to impress upon the villagers by organising Grama Sabhas in place of a proper environment impact study,” said Ch Narsimha Rao, CPI (M) Secretariat member. He alleged that the state government, instead of compensating the residents as per the Land Acquisition Act, was trying to get their consent through dubious means.
“Many villagers were coerced to part with their land as the district administration stopped granting them pattas, refused to register sale deeds and stopped benefits from government schemes,” said Bhanviri Krishna Murty, district secretary of CPI(M).
The Left party has decided to launch several agitation programmes to highlight the threats posed by nuclear power plants.
Revenue officials are hopeful that they would be able to complete the process within a fortnight.
“The orders from the state government are very clear and we will be able to complete the survey in these three villages under Ranasthali mandal and also fix the compensation for both landowners and others, which will be placed before the NPCIL Board for approval,” a senior revenue officer said.
According to Srikakulam Collector P Lakshmi Narasimham, the Rehabilitation and Resettlement package offered by the government is probably the best in the country.
“The mood has softened as the villagers have realised the importance of the project for the development of the state and they have accepted our offer,” he said.
The administration is confident that it will overcome acquisition issues and hand over the land to NPCIL soon because the project site is not under any seismic hazard, as there is no faultline within five-km area. Kovvada falls in zone-II of the seismic map, which is considered safe.
Going by the current pace of the work, the project might begin by the end of this year and the first unit might start working somewhere in 2021.