Workers' stir stalls Jharia rehab plan

Sindri: The construction work of flats in Nipania village near Baliapur for rehabilitating families of Jharia coalfield could not start on Wednesday due to protest by villagers.
As soon as the Jharia Rehabilitation and Development authority (JRDA) officials reached Nipania along with the contractor who has been allotted the work, about hundred villagers started raising slogans against the JRDA and district administration.Although majority of the villagers have received money against the land acquisition, a section of land owners are opposing it demanding employment and means of livelihood.
Though none of the protesting villagers wanted their names to be published, they expressed apprehensions over their future saying they will have nothing to fend for themselves if their land was taken by the government. "We want employment for our wards," they added.
However, when officer in-charge of JRDA Gopalji invited them for talks, no villager went and instead kept raising slogans. The JRDA officials and contractor left the place along with the JCB.
Gopalji informed that the district land acquisition department has acquired nearly 120.82acres of land in Village Nipania some two years ago for constructing 8,000 flats for the families to be displaced from the fire zone of Jharia coalfield. Nearly 70% land owners have already received their money against the land acquisition. The process of payment is still on and those who have not received the money can collect it anytime.
"Since the villagers asked us to stop the work, we came back. The contractor and the JRDA has submitted a written report to Baliapur police and the district administration in this regard and construction work will start soon,'' he said.