In hope of more compensation

Instead of cultivating their farmlands, many villagers of four moujas in Dhankhali union under Kalapara upazila built hundreds of houses on their lands between May and September as the lands have been acquired for building a power plant in the union, and the compensation rate is higher for homesteads than farmlands.

Patuakhali district administration acquired a total of 930.61 acres of land at four moujas in Dhankhali union to set up a 1,320 MW (660*2) Ultra-Super Critical Coal Fired Power Plant for Ashuganj Power Supply Company Limited (APSCL) to generate 1,320 MW from two units at Dhankhali union.

Of the lands, 289.31 acres are in Devpur mouja, 201.78 acres in Pachjunia, 24.55 acres in Chalitabunia and 415.01 acres in Dhankhali, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC revenue) Md Mamunur Rashid.

Of the lands, 15.37 acres will be used to set up rehabilitation sites for those whose lands have been acquired, he added.

Patuakhali district administration served notices early this year to land owners to inform them about the matter. Land owners then started building new houses on their farmlands as the rate for homestead is higher than for land.

Kalapara Upazila Sub-Registrar Kawser Ahmed said the rate for agricultural land is Tk 4,161 per decimal and Tk 7,239 for homestead in Devpur mouja, Tk 5,447 and Tk 7,063 in Chalitabunia, Tk 9,042 and Tk 15,974 in Pachjunia and Tk 6,402 and Tk 7,938 in Dhankhali, while the rate for commercial land is Tk 41,334 in Dhankhali mouja.         

District administration and APSCL authorities will conduct joint investigation in the union to determine the genuine amount of different categories of land for fixing the compensation rate. Villagers built new houses to enlist their agricultural land into homestead or commercial category to get more compensation, locals said.

This correspondent saw over 1,000 new houses built there.

Al-Amin Mollik of Devpur village built eight new houses on his agricultural land. He built the houses to get more money as compensation as he will be losing the land forever, he said, adding that some APSCL officials encouraged them to build new houses in order to get their land listed as homestead category instead of agricultural.

Kalam Millik, another local resident, said he built three new houses on his farmland to get more compensation.

Kasem Chowkider, a local resident, said some APSCL men told him that if he built a house on his farmland he will get compensation as per homestead rate, so he built the house.

Moazzem Hossain Hawlader, another villager, said he did not build houses on his agricultural land as it will be unethical.

Dhankhali Union Parishad Chairman Reaz Uddin Talukder said many local people built new houses on their land to get more money by getting their lands listed under residential category.

“I do not support it and the administration should take steps to stop them. A section of people influenced villagers to carry out the illegal activity,” he said.

APSCL Executive Engineer Md Ashraf, refuted the allegation and said they were not involved in influencing local people to build new houses on agricultural land.

Those whose lands were acquired will get compensation as per the rate fixed by Kalapara upazila sub-registry office under classification like agricultural, residential, non-agricultural and commercial land, he said.

Rate of compensation will be fixed after a joint investigation by Patuakhali district administration and APSCL authorities, and there is no chance for anyone to influence the decision, he said.

“I have informed the Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner and also the higher authorities of APSCL about the matter,” he added.

ADC (revenue) Md Mamunur Rashid said they had heard about the matter. Those who built new houses on agricultural land to get more compensation will not get it as compensation will be fixed after joint investigation by Patuakhali district administration and APSCL authorities.

“Steps will be taken against anyone who influences the villagers to build new houses,” he said.