RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Feb.28: Maharatna Company of India, NTPC distributed eight crores at the rate of ten lakhs in lieu of 80 acres of government land (Gair Mazrua).
The fact came to fore last month after a resident of Barkagaon, Mantu Soni, wrote a letter to the prime minister’s office exposing the irregularities and NTPC accepted the mistake saying that the amount was distributed on the certification of the concerned circle officer of the district.
The acceptance has exposed the irregularities in the Pakri Barwadih coal project in Barkagaon under Hazaribagh district. It has revealed how land mafia and middlemen of NTPC prepared forged documents and withdrew Rs 8 crore from NTPC.
GM of NTPC Sanjay Kumar Sinha expressed his ignorance in the matter.
“Since I joined in 2018 no compensation against GM land has been given. Payment of this compensation is not in my knowledge,” Sinha said.
Soni told Lagatar 24.con that compensation against Gair Majarua land was done before 2016.
“In July 2016, a sudden ban was imposed by the government on issuance of receipts for non-marginal land. The reason for which was illegal settlement of government land and issuance of rent receipt. The issuance of rent receipt was put on hold till the completion of the investigation. In 2020, the government lifted the ban on issuance of rent receipts and NTPC also fixed the compensation rate. However, while real land owners remained deprived of their compensation, the land mafia got their compensation before 2016,” he said.
