Congress MLA counters JVM-P claims, says people in favour of Adani power plant in Godda

RANCHI: While former chief minister Babulal Marandi-led JVM-P is critical of the Centre’s recent decision to grant Rs 14,000 crore special economic zone (SEZ) status to Adani’s proposed power plant project in Godda, continuing with their opposition against the project and alleging it anti-people and anti-farmer, Congress MLA (Jamtara) Irfan Ansari on Thursday remarked that farmers and land owners are in favour of the project.

Ansari’s statements come at a time when JVM-P, which is part of the proposed mahagathbandhan of opposition parties — Congress, JMM, JVM-P and RJD, has staked claim to fight Godda Lok Sabha seat.

Ansari remarked that the people of Godda are in favour of the project, contrary to what is being projected by JVM-P. “I have extensively toured areas where land has been acquired for Adani’s proposed project. I am yet come across a single place where farmers are not willing to part with their land for the power plant. It is JVM-P which has been claiming otherwise. In fact, there are many who are willing to give their lands but the situation is such that the company isn’t acquiring plots any more,” Ansari said over phone. The MLA is currently camping in Delhi to meet senior Congress leaders to bargain Godda seat for his father Furkan Ansari.

Ansari reiterated that as per the seat sharing formula, parties who either won a seat or came second in the previous election has the right on a particular seat.

“By that logic, Congress has a strong base in Godda and came second in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. So, we have a natural right on that seat, not JVM-P,” he said.

Meanwhile, JVM-P’s Poriyahat MLA, Pradeep Yadav, who led protests against the project, said Ansari lacks understanding of the bigger problem. Yadav claimed that even if they fight the Lok Sabha election alone without any coalition, they are hopeful of securing Koderma, Godda and Chatra out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand . “It is true that many farmers willingly gave land for the project. But there are many who were opposed to it,” Yadav said.

“We are opposed to this project for several reasons. For instance, while Rs 42.50 lakh/acre was fixed as compensation for land owners, the government lated revised it to Rs 3.15 lakh/acre. It was only after extensive protests by me that the rate was again revised to Rs 49 lakh/acre,” he said, adding, “As per earlier power sharing agreement with the government, the company is supposed to give 25% of the electricity it produces to Jharkhand. But now the company wants to sell its entire produce to Bangladesh. There are many such violations which we have been protesting against. An MLA (Ansari) should be aware of these facts.”