Barapukuria Subsidence
30 acres to be acquired for landless people
Thirty acres of land will be acquired to rehabilitate the landless people who have been living around the Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Ltd (BCMCL) amid risk due to land subsidence affected by mining faults.
The government has also proposed a Tk 190.53 crore compensation package for the affected land owners at villages around Barapukuria coal mine, BCMCL officials said, adding that the fund has been transferred to a local bank under the deputy commissioner's supervision.
As per the compensation package, Tk 20 lakh will be paid for per acre of arable land, Tk 25 lakh for per acre of land with dwellings, Tk 2 lakh for each landless person and Tk 50,000 for each businessman to help shift their businesses.
The government assigned the office of Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner to acquire the 30 acres of land for the 318 landless people who would be affected when BCMCL authorities start drive for acquisition of estimated 464 acres of land in the surrounding area, said Engineer Md Quarumzzaman, managing director (MD) of BCMCL.
"I have received a letter from the ministry concerned. We are looking for land to acquire," said Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Md Jamal Uddin Ahmed.
A training centre will be built for the affected people as per instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the MD of BCMCL.
Sources said that the ministry concerned at a recent meeting decided to implement the compensation package rapidly. The meeting also decided to declare the BCMCL area as Key Point Installation to ensure its highest security.
The land survey of Baddyanathpur and Barapukuria Bazar have been completed recently and first phase of land acquisition will start within a short time.
Following agitation of the residents of affected villages around BCMCL area, the government decided to acquire the land affected by subsidence and give compensation to the affected people, BCMCL sources said, adding that the government has also a plan to build a 'mine city' in the area.
The people of the areas around the coal mine have been agitating since 2009 demanding compensation as life became miserable due to land subsidence that was detected first in May 2006.
The BCMCL authority signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard on May 15, 2009.
Hailing the government decision to rehabilitate the landless people and compensate affected land owners, Ibrahim Khalil, convener of Jibon O Shampad Rakkha Committee, has urged the authorities to implement the proposed package as early as possible.
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