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Tribals paid Rs 15.25 crore less during land acquisition by ECL, BCCL: CAG report
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The Indian Express
CAG showed that for an acre of land, tribals were compensated at much lower rates ranging between Rs 2.5–12.6 lakh as against the standard government compensation between Rs 19.7–125 lakh.
(Express File Photo/Enhanced using AI)In the five financial years (FYs) from 2017-18 to 2021-22, tribal people’s interests were not protected during land acquisition in West Bengal, according to the ‘Performance Audit Report’ of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
In one instance alone, CAG studied 66 cases and flagged that during land acquisition, the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and/or Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) paid at least Rs 15.25 crore less to tribal land owners.
In another case, CAG showed that for an acre of land, tribals were compensated at much lower rates ranging between Rs 2.5–12.6 lakh as against the standard government compensation between Rs 19.7–125 lakh.
This resulted in short receipt of compensation by tribal land owners amounting to Rs 15.25 crore during FYs 2017-18 to 2021-22 in 66 test-checked cases, and deficiencies in rehabilitation and resettlement provided by these ECL/BCCL offices to ST people whose lands were acquired.”