Mumbai, March 02: For five years, locals in Jaitapur in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra have been protesting against a nuclear-power plant, which is to be set up there.
However, those who have been alleging forceful acquisition of land by the state government heard a clear message recently: if the dissenting voices get too shrill, the state will muffle them.
So, when Dr Milind Desai, who is leading a protest against the project, said at a meeting that the government should be ashamed for the use of undemocratic means while acquiring land, Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan and state Industries Minister Narayan Rane got so miffed that Rane asked Desai to leave the stage immediately.
But the government’s wrath did not end with that. Desai has now been arrested and put in jail with 13 charges slapped against him, including Section 307 of the IPC for attempt to murder and section 395 for dacoity.
What is the project?
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) plans to set up a 10,000-MW nuclear power plant at the village.
It is billed to be the largest power plant in the country.
The state government acquired over 938 hectares of land from five villages, namely Madban, Niveli, Karel, Mithgavane and Varilwada, for the project.
2335 families affected by the land acquisition have been opposing the project.
Of the 2,335 land owners, only about 100 have accepted their compensation cheques from NPCIL.
–Agencies–