Protest Erupts Over Road Construction on Private Land in Kuju, Traffic Blocked for Two Hours

A protest was held in Kuju on Tuesday against the alleged construction of a road by Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) on privately owned land belonging to a resident of Orla. Protesters blocked the Giddi-Hirak-Topa road for nearly two hours, disrupting traffic in the area.

The demonstration was organised under the banner of the Yuva RJD in support of raiyat Parmeshwar Gop, who alleged that CCL had constructed a road on a portion of his land that had not been acquired by the company.

After receiving information about the road blockade, ASI Abhinav Kumar of Kuju OP reached the spot and contacted CCL officials to intervene. A meeting was subsequently held between the CCL management and the raiyat at the company’s GM office in Kuju.

During the discussions, Gop said CCL had earlier acquired 59 decimals of his land. However, he alleged that instead of restricting the road to the area identified during the survey, the company had also constructed the road over another 11 decimals of his private land.

According to Gop, the additional portion has neither been acquired by CCL nor has any compensation been paid for it.

Following discussions, both sides agreed that the concerned land would be officially demarcated through the Circle Office Amin within 15 days. The decision led to the protesters ending their demonstration and lifting the road blockade.

Traffic movement, which had remained disrupted for around two hours, subsequently returned to normal.

Gop, however, warned that if the land demarcation is not completed within the agreed 15-day period, he would once again lead a protest and gherao the CCL GM office.

The issue highlights the importance of proper land demarcation and compensation in cases where private land is affected by infrastructure or mining-related activities. The proposed official measurement is expected to clarify the exact boundaries of the disputed land and help determine the next course of action.

Several CCL officials and local representatives were present during the proceedings, including Land and Revenue Officer Ajit Kumar Singh, Revenue Officer Nikhil Ranjan, senior clerk Mohammad Islam, Dadi Zila Parishad member Sarvesh Singh, Yuva Pradesh General Secretary Lalan Yadav, Yuva district president Sudhir Kumar, Shahid Siddiqui, Vinod Kumar and Krishna Yadav.