Nalas (Rajpura): Following agitation by villagers in Nabha, now residents of over seven villages near Rajpura are up in arms against the government's plan to procure around 1,000 acres of fertile land for the 1,320 MV Rajpura Thermal Power Project (RTPP) near Nalas.

The villagers demand is to be paid at par with the Jheurheri villagers, who received compensation after their land was acquired for an international airport near Mohali.

Dumka: Hundreds of people took to the streets today under the banner of Jharkhand Ulgulan Manch in protest against the arrest of a person spearheading a movement opposing the proposed power plant in the area.

The arrest of Hopna Baski, the village head of Amgachhi, agitated residents to such an extent that they squatted on a daylong dharna in the court compound today demanding Baski's immediate release. The members of Jharkhand Ulgulan Manch handed a memorandum to the officials.

Morcha supporters sign on a map outlining the territory they want to be considered as Gorkhaland near Darjeeling More in Siliguri on Tuesday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo
Darjeeling, Aug. 19: The forest department has agreed to conduct a field inspection next week for the transfer of land to the NHPC for the construction of an alternative route along the Teesta- Takdha road.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has stopped work at the sites of the two hydel projects for the past two days, however, said it would carry on with its protest till the inspection took place on August 25.

Environmentalists and city dwellers yesterday urged the government to take initiatives for the development of Narayanganj in a planned manner.

They also called upon the government not to sell the acquired government land and establish playground and park for ensuring a healthy environment.

Narayanganj, which is called the Dundee of the east, is facing severe shortage of civic amenities, said ATM Kamal, president, Narayanganj City Development Committee at a press briefing at the VIP auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity.

PANJIM, AUG 19

After the in-principle approval of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to the Himachal Pradesh proposal on the railway line to Leh via Manali and 13,051-foot-high Rohtang Pass, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Tuesday offered to the Centre to undertake the entire land acquisition and rehabilitation process along 400-km Himachal stretch and get a pre-feasibility report on the project prepared by November 30.

Special Correspondent

Group of Ministers recommends private players buy 70% of land at market rates

CHENNAI: Land acquisition for Special Economic Zones could soon be regulated, with an Empowered Group of Ministers recommending that private players buy 70 per cent of the land at the prevailing market prices and the government acquire the rest, according to R. Gopalan, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Commerce.

Kadapa, Aug. 9: The Telugu Desam (TD) president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, alleged that the government was taking land from the poor in the name of establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and demanded the release of a white paper on SEZs.

Speaking to newsmen at Potladurthy in Yerraguntla mandal in Kadapa district on Saturday, he said the white paper should include details on purchase of land in various parts of the state, their market rate, amount paid to farmers, fees paid in registrar offices and allocation of lands.

BY PARWEZ HAFEEZ and DIBYAJYOTI CHAUDHURI

Kolkata,July 31: A day after Tata Motors' managing director Ravikant expressed serious concerns over the continuing disturbances around Nano's plant at Singur and warned that their patience was running out, the state government invited Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for talks. She contemptuously rejected the invitation.

It is the Trinamul Congress-led Save Farmland Committee which has threatened that it would not allow the Tatas to roll out Nano in October as planned.