Purnea Airport land acquisition sparks protest by villagers
Patna: The land acquisition process for Purnea Airport construction has triggered massive protests among local villagers, leading to clashes with the police on Wednesday.
Angry villagers protested against land acquisition. They were equipped with traditional arms and sticks and chased away police personnel from the proposed site.
The policemen were forced to retreat after facing resistance from locals. Following the incident, the district police placed heavy police deployment in the area to control the situation. The district administration has deployed a large police force and BPM personnel.
Tensions remained high as villagers continued to resist. Farmers are demanding compensation before land acquisition. They claim that compensation has not been provided for the acquired land.
Farmers also alleged that maize crops were harvested without farmers receiving payment. A police team led by the SDO arrived to harvest maize on Wednesday, but villagers protested aggressively, leading to further ruckus.
Amid ongoing protests against land acquisition for Purnea Airport, SDO Parth Gupta has addressed the concerns of locals, emphasising that compensation has already been deposited in the court.
“The compensation amount for affected landowners has been deposited in court. Landowners can claim their compensation from the court as per legal procedures. There is a miscommunication with farmers that we have shorted out and expected the situation would normalise in the coming days,” Gupta said.
“Contractors for the airport construction have arrived in Purnea,” he said.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has hired external contractors for Purnea Airport construction. However, some villagers, including local women, claim they haven’t received any payment.
Despite assurances from officials, villagers continue to demand direct compensation before any further land acquisition.
Purnea Airport is one of the key projects of the Central government in Bihar to connect the Seemanchal region of the state with the rest of the country.
Currently, the people of Seemanchal region either go to Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal or Darbhanga or Patna to catch the flight.
Over the years, a lot of politics between NDA and Grand Alliance have taken place over this project.