Ranchi::The Nitish government has given Adani 1,050 acres of land for the Bhagalpur Power Plant at the rate of 1 rupee per year. According to Adani's company, this plant will provide employment opportunities for 10,000 to 12,000 people. The same claim was made during the signing of the MoU for the Godda Power Plant in Jharkhand, when the Chief Secretary of the Raghubar Das government, Rajbala Verma, and Adani Group CEO Rajesh Chandra Jha made similar statements on December 12, 2017 (Business Standard). However, the reality is the opposite.
As per Tracxn’s report from July 14, 2025, Adani Power (Jharkhand) Limited had 3,316 employees in total as of December 31, 2024. According to an official statement from Adani Group regarding the Godda Power Plant, it has acquired a total of 558 acres of land, of which 517 acres are private and agricultural land, and 41 acres are government land. Initially, Adani had demanded 1,363.15 acres of land, including 1,214.49 acres of private agricultural land and 148.66 acres of government land. Even now, Adani continues to pressure the government and farmers for more land for the expansion of the power plant and coal block. Land acquisition from farmers has been done forcefully. It was promised to farmers that those who give 2 acres or more land would receive jobs or compensation, along with an additional 5 lakh rupees. According to local farmers, they were made temporary contractual workers instead of receiving jobs. Despite training, they still have not received jobs in exchange for land. Farmers are still fighting legal battles and conducting protests against the breach of promises.
In March, around 180 workers were informed that they were being hired by Riddhi Company, which works for Adani Group. Among them, 50 workers had been promised jobs in exchange for their land. These workers went on strike against the deception they were subjected to by the company. The government, instead of supporting the protesting workers, gave a hollow assurance that they would be rehired when the company needs them in the future. Force was also used against the striking workers.
The promises made by the Godda Power Plant regarding local environmental or social development have also turned out to be a facade. The local population continues to face a shortage of electricity supply. The power plant, dedicated to supplying electricity to Bangladesh, has not benefited the state in terms of energy supply. Apart from land, the coal mining and the consumption of 36 MCM of water per year from the Ganga river has put an additional burden on the state.
A research team found that after the plant's
construction, respiratory diseases have increased. The air quality index (AQI) has risen from 80 to 120, and the pH of the water has dropped from 6.8 to 5.5. The affected area has been designated as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). There are 11 villages directly impacted, but several other villages are affected due to associated activities like water pipelines. To escape the provisions of the SPT Act related to land acquisition, the plant was declared to be in the public interest, even though it is clear that the plant produces for a foreign country. According to government and Adani sources, over 400 families with approximately 1,500 members have been displaced. However, independent assessments suggest that the number of displaced people is closer to 5,000. While Adani promised 10,000 jobs, farmers who gave land have not received any jobs, and they are still struggling against illegal land acquisition and the deception by Adani.
In Bihar, the Nitish-Modi "double-engine"
government has failed to create any jobs, and this has become a major political issue ahead of the Bihar elections. In Bhagalpur, the Modi-Nitish government is preparing to deceive the people under the pretext of the Adani power project. On one hand, they are taking away agricultural land from farmers and handing it over to Adani, while on the other hand, the industrial exploitation of the Ganga’s water will create a new water crisis in Bihar's eastern region. The construction of the plant is expected to employ 10,000-12,000 workers, but this is likely to involve temporary and short-term contractual labor. During the operational phase, around 3,000 jobs are expected. The reality is that local aspirations will barely be addressed. The people of Bihar will not let Modi and Nitish deceive them and escape easily.
(Author Mithilesh Dangi is an anti-displacement social activist)
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