Officials-Patwari Nexus Leads to Massive Fraud; Action Initiated Following Farmer’s Petition
RAIGARH, April 17, 2025 (India CSR): A significant land acquisition scam has come to light in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh involving NTPC’s rail line project linking the Lara plant to the Talaipalli coal mine. Serious irregularities have been revealed, with accusations pointing towards collusion between local revenue officials (Patwaris) and district authorities. The scam was exposed after a farmer, Sadhram Rathia, received less than half of his officially sanctioned compensation, forcing him to approach the High Court.
Farmer Sadhram Rathia’s Case: ₹26 Lakh Shortfall in Compensation
The incident revolves around land acquired in Regda village of Raigarh tehsil for NTPC’s railway line project. Sadhram Rathia, son of Nanku Rathia, had two plots of land (Khasra No. 241/2 measuring 1.619 hectares and Khasra No. 180/4 measuring 0.405 hectares) impacted by this acquisition.
On May 17, 2017, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Raigarh declared an award amounting to Rs. 56,20,730 for the acquisition of 0.405 hectares from Khasra No. 241/2. However, the farmer received only Rs. 29,51,235, leaving an outstanding amount of Rs. 26,69,495 unpaid.
High Court Intervention and Strict Orders for Investigation
After repeated pleas for the outstanding payment yielded no response at the local administrative level, the aggrieved farmer approached the High Court. Taking cognizance of the gravity of the issue, on January 24, 2025, the High Court directed a fresh and detailed investigation. The court ordered authorities to conclusively resolve the matter within 45 days upon the farmer submitting a fresh application.
SDM and Tehsildar Spring into Action, Form Investigation Team
Complying with the High Court’s directive, the farmer submitted a fresh application to the SDM Raigarh on February 21, 2025. Subsequently, on March 27, 2025, the SDM instructed the Tehsildar Raigarh to present an investigative report within three days. On April 3, 2025, the Tehsildar constituted an inquiry team comprising Revenue Inspector (RI) Nandram Patel, Patwari Ranglal Se Nirala, and Patwari Abhishek Sahu.
Massive Irregularities Alleged in NTPC Rail Project Survey
Allegations indicate severe discrepancies in the alignment and survey process for NTPC’s rail project. Officials and Patwaris allegedly inflated the affected land areas significantly during surveys. In certain instances, merely 10 decimals of land were impacted but were fraudulently reported as high as 50 decimals, resulting in exaggerated compensations for some, while others received far less than their entitled amounts.
NTPC initially raised objections regarding these discrepancies but subsequently failed to pursue corrective actions, intensifying the controversy.
All Eyes on Administrative Action
Following the High Court’s orders, the local farming community and other stakeholders are closely observing the ongoing administrative investigation. The investigative team is mandated to submit its final report within 45 days, which is expected to shed further light on the irregularities plaguing the land acquisition processes in Raigarh.
(India CSR)
