Bihar’s land at ₹1 per acre for Adani sparks outrage, NAPM calls it crony capitalism

By A Representative 

The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has strongly condemned the Bihar government’s decision to lease 1,050 acres of land in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur district, to Adani Power for a 2,400 MW coal-based thermal power project. 

The land, leased for 33 years at an annual rent of just ₹1 per acre, has triggered outrage among farmers’ groups and civil society activists, who describe the move as a blatant case of crony capitalism. NAPM has demanded the immediate scrapping of the ₹29,000 crore project and return of the land to 915 affected farmers, many of whom were cultivating mangoes, litchis, and other crops before their land was declared “barren” to facilitate acquisition. 

The organisation said the majority of farmers have either received no compensation or were paid outdated rates, while the government ignored their lifelong dependence on the land for livelihood.

Describing the decision as a betrayal, NAPM pointed out the irony of the state claiming lack of land to distribute among the landless while leasing thousands of acres virtually free to a corporate giant. The group also warned of an impending environmental and public health disaster, noting that Bhagalpur is already among India’s most polluted cities, home to the Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station. 

It said another coal plant in the region would aggravate air and water pollution, worsen respiratory diseases, and further damage the Ganga basin ecosystem, especially with the proposed felling of 10 lakh trees.

The alliance criticised the project for undermining India’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and its own Net Zero 2070 targets, saying new coal infrastructure is incompatible with global climate goals. “India cannot claim climate leadership while expanding coal projects that threaten both ecology and people’s lives,” NAPM said, adding that the project exposes the contradictions in government claims of supporting renewable energy transitions.

Calling the project “a rushed and hushed political move ahead of elections,” NAPM urged civil society, farmers’ organisations, and climate groups to resist what it termed a destructive development model. 

It demanded scrapping of the project, return of the land to farmers with rehabilitation and compensation, halting of all coal-based projects in the Ganga basin, and a shift towards decentralized renewable energy solutions that create dignified employment without harming public health or the environment.

The statement reaffirmed NAPM’s solidarity with farmers and communities across Bihar, urging all citizens committed to justice, ecology, and equity to oppose the project.