The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday stayed the eviction of several landowners whose properties were acquired for the National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC) Pakri Barwadih Coal Project in Hazaribagh district, following violent clashes between villagers and authorities a day earlier.
Justice Rajesh Kumar, hearing a petition filed by Basudev Sao and other affected residents, ordered that the petitioners “shall not be forcibly evicted” from their land. The court also directed NTPC to submit its reply and fixed the next hearing for two weeks later.
The petitioners argued that although the land was acquired under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act and the Land Acquisition Act, NTPC had not complied with the statutory procedures mandated under these laws. They further alleged that compensation was calculated on outdated benchmarks, instead of being based on prevailing market rates after a social impact assessment, as required under current legal provisions.
The dispute escalated on Tuesday when at least 12 people were injured during a confrontation between villagers and officials from NTPC and the district administration. The administration has since lodged an FIR against 335 individuals, including 250 unidentified persons, in connection with the incident.
Police said an investigation was underway and assured that action would be taken against those responsible. Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner Shashi Prakash Singh and Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan visited the site on Wednesday, with officials stating that the situation was now under control.
