Nagpur: Farmers in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, whose lands were acquired for coal mining, will get approximately Rs 2,000 crore as enhanced compensation, Chandrapur BJP MP Hansraj Ahir said here on Tuesday.
"Formalities for the disbursement for the land compensation at between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 10 lakh per acre have been cleared," Ahir, who played a key role in exposing the coal scam, told reporters here.
Farmers from three districts -- Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Nagpur -- will get windfall gains by way of enhanced compensation for land acquired by the Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL), one of the eight subsidiary Companies of Coal India Limited (CIL), he said.
"CIL finally conceded to the demand at its 279th board meeting on March 12-13 last year," he said, claiming that the state government has also endorsed the deal.
According to the MP, his party had been fighting for adequate compensation package to the farmers, since the past one decade. The party had been demanding higher per acre rates for land and job for the displaced in WCL for the land acquired by it from farmers.
Previously the government used to pay less than Rs 1 lakh an acre. For the last few years, The issue was taken up in Parliament.
"Work on 38 mine sites were blocked by him and the Standing Committee of the CIL agreed to the enhanced rates," Ahir said.
"Our perseverance has finally yielded results. Now, amount worth Rs 1,850 crore to Rs 2,000 crore would be paid as pending dues to all the farmers in these three district," he said.
Ahir demanded similar compensation to farmers whose lands are being acquired in other areas of Vidarbha for manganese and iron deposits by the government or private agencies in Bhandara and Gondia districts.
PTI
