THE CPI(M) has been struggling against forcible land acquisition by the BJP government in Jharkhand for a power plant to be set up by the Adani group in Godda district.

The 1,600 MW power plant is proposed to be set up in Godda district in Santhal Pargana region by the Adani group, a favourite of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The district administration is trying to acquire five thousand acres of land for the plant in Poraiyahaat and Godda blocks by hook or by crook on the direction of the BJP-led government. of the district. Villagers have opposed the acquisition by conducting staged gram sabhas and public hearings. At present, 1,700 acres of multi-crop land are to be acquired in a densely-populated region. Thousands of people will suffer due to the power plant and they have to be displaced, but the Raghubar Das government in Jharkhand is going ahead the project, neglecting voices of the farmers.

The CPI(M) Godda district unit has been struggling to protect the rights and the entitlement of the common people and campaigning for it continuously. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat met with the people who will suffer by this anti-people steps of the government on April 28. She visited Motia village and met hundreds of residents in Sarvodaya ashram and supported their struggle. On the same day, a protest meeting was conducted at the district headquarter by the CPI(M). A large no of rayaats attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Brinda Karat said, “The Raghubar Das government is violating rules and the Constitution and grabbing land from the hands of the poor farmers in favour of the corporate and suppressing the voice of the common masses. Many people losing their lives in Barkagoan, Gola and Khunti in police firing while protesting against forcible land acquisition shows the attitude of the anti-people government. The state government is going ahead with the unconstitutional amendment in the SPT (Santhal Pargana Tenancy) Act and the CNT (Chhota Nagpur Tenancy) Act and violating the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. She noted that this power plant will lead to destruction, instead of devolpment. When the rayaats are opposing all these procedures, why the government is siding with Adani.”

Dasrath Mandal presided over the metting. The ‘Save Land’ movement leader Chintamani Sah and CPI(M) state secretary G K Baksi were among those present in the meeting.