Dinajpur, Nov 10 (bdnews24.com) — There has been mixed reaction from local people living around the Barapukuria coal mine about the government's compensation package declared on Tuesday.
Some people affected by the mine have rejected the Tk 1.91 billion compensation package.
They also threatened to publicly protest the price of their lands fixed by the government.
Locals are preparing to stage the demonstration under the banner 'Land and Property Protection Committee' as there is no specific policy on housing, school, college and other facilities in the government project.
Another local platform, Life and Property Protection Committee, has already accepted the government plan.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on Tuesday approved the acquisition of 646 acres of the country's lone functioning coal mine.
The long-sought demand for compensation comes after substantial subsidence and damages to arable land in the area due to the mining operations.
The compensation package project to be implemented in a period of July 2010 to Dec 2011 will be funded by the government.
On Wednesday, Barapukuria Coal Mining Co. Ltd managing director Mohammad Kamruzzaman told bdnews24.com that around 406 families of eight villages in the area will get compensation.
"Under the project, Tk 2 million will be given for an acre of arable land, Tk 2.5 million for an acre of commercial land and Tk 200,000 for a family without land," he said.
Barapukuria Land and Property Protection Committee advisor Bulbul Ahmed and general secretary Mostafa Zaman said they will not accept Tk 2.5 million for an acre in commercial areas as the current market price is minimum Tk 100,000 for one decimal.
They stated there was no specific policy to compensate the affected people.
The two leaders of the committee said they will not accept any hard-pressed decision but the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed on May 15, 2009.
They also said new demonstrations will be announced after discussion with the affected people.
On the other hand, Life and Property Protection Committee convenor Ibrahim Khalil told bdnews24.com: "The project will not be implemented in even one year if we bargain."
"Bargaining will only increase the sufferings of the affected people," he said.
He also said many of the affected people have expressed their satisfaction on the project.
"But we will take decision after discussion with all of them," he added.
The mining firm, which is under Petrobangla, signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of the government with the representatives of the affected people on May 15, 2009.
According to the memorandum, three opinions were given by the representatives, including setting the highest price of lands in the area by adding the inflation of money until 2009 with the price given to the affected people of the Padma Bridge Project area.
The second opinion was to set the price of land by considering the highest documentary prices used in trading of lands in the area or the highest price of the two options.
The proposal to establish a mining city with sufficient civic facilities for the affected people near the mine was also included in the memorandum.
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