Though the idea was conceived by the former BJP chief minister, Arjun Munda, the project could not be implemented as the people opposed it. After coming to power in 2015 the BJP government is moving steadily to implement the dream project. Greater Ranchi Development Authority (GRDA) has been appointed as Nodal Agency for this high profile project. The New Capital City of Jharkhand at Ranchi in about 30 thousand acres of land on which about 2300 acres of land in HEC area is being developed and remaining in Kanke Block. GRDA is starting the construction of 4/6 lane road and other infrastructure activity in the Core Capital City.

New Capital City for Jharkhand at Ranchi would be established with world-class High Court to be plotted on 165 acres of land, State-of-Art Assembly, Secretariat, residential complex and big social and financial institutions..The government is already in possession of approx. 410 acres of land. Science & Technology Department have also voluntarily offered 160 acres of land to GRDA for developing the IT Park, which they were earlier planning to do. A Knowledge Hub is being planned on 570 acres of land in Khunti.

It is the spectre of displacement that has made the adivasis panicky and resort to agitation. Within Namkum block, the government has decided to acquire 39,682 acres under the project. The activists are unanimous:' Jameen nahi to ham nahi aur agar ham nahi to sarkar fir tum bhi nahi (If there is no land, there is no us. And if there is no us, then the government will also not be there).... All these acres are fertile land. Agriculture is our mainstay. Land is our identity. Don't make us landless'.

It is betrayal of the government to adivasis interest that has turned them hostile to any move to acquire land for development. The modern tribals are not averse to development. But they want to have a clear perspective of the nature of the development. They allege that the present drive to create greater Ranchi is simply a move to benefit and help the big business houses who intend to make Jharkhand as their operational head quarters.

The surface water bodies have been the worst victims of the unorganized expansion of the urban settlement. A large number of these bodies have dried. Every year during the summer the people of Jharkhand have to face acute problem of drinking water. Apart from the lessening of the numbers (around 300) of water bodies, it has also led to the shrinkage of wetlands. Constructing business apartments, at the expense of the water bodies, have become a common phenomenon in the city. In 1972, the total area under the surface water bodies was only 66.23 sq. km, while in 2010, the area was 62.14 sq. km. The area under the major reservoirs of Kake, Ranchi lake, Hatia have undergone shrinkages, with the former having an area of 18.6 sq.km in 1972, becoming 15.26 Sq.Kms in 2010, Ranchi lake initially with an area of 19.23Sq.kms in 1972, becoming 16.7 Sq.Kms in 2010 and the Hatia reservoir with an area of 40.18 Sq.kms in 1972, becoming 29.28 Sq.Kms in 2010.

It is the lack of government concern for the displaced persons that has turned the situation volatile. In a shocking revelation the villagers alleged that the government was forcefully taking everyone’s land in the name of a new Ranchi, greater Ranchi.

The human rights activists allege that laws that protect tribal’s land ownership, the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, are being violated in Jharkhand. Incidentally tribals constitute 25 percent of the population. There are numerous laws made for protection of the Adivasis’ rights but these laws were never implemented honestly. While Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act 1908 and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act 1949 prohibit the sale and transfer of Adivasi land to non-Adivasi the Bihar Scheduled Areas Regulation Act enacted in 1989 is for prevention and legalization of illegal land transfer of Adivasis. A special Area Regulation Court was established and the Deputy Commissioner was given special right regarding the sale and transfer of Adivasis land.. According to the government’s report, 60,464 cases regarding 85,777.22 acres of illegal transfer of land were registered till 2001-2002. Out of these 34,608 cases of 46,797.36 acres of land were considered for hearing and rest 25,856 cases related to 38,979.86 acres of land were dismissed.

The total number of people displaced in Jharkhand from the year 1951 – 1995 is 25, 03,017. Out of which 9, 20,372 belong to the scheduled tribe, 5, 12,892 belong to the scheduled caste. In the name of development, various large-scale industrial, mining, irrigation and power projects were launched in the state such as the Tata Iron and Steel Company, Heavy Engineering Corporation, Subernarekha Dam Project, Chandil Power project etc. but the benefits from these projects have only accrued by the big business houses and all that the displaced people have got is wages for providing manual labour required by these projects.

Another major threat of displacement in the state is the implementation of the Koel-Karo Hydro-Power Project. The implementation of the project has been stalled for over three decades because of the tribal people’s movement against the project; it is one of the oldest power projects in the country. Initially during the year 1973-74, the people demanded the employment of the local people in the construction work of the dam. The people were then not informed of the submergence and the displacement that would result from the construction of the dam. After the people learned of the consequences they immediately stopped all construction work relating to the project in the year 1974-75. The people’s movement has been going on under the banner of ‘Koel-Karo Jan Sanghathana’. It is irony that the movement has not really entered into the mainstream national discourse.

It is an open secret that industrialization has not at all contributed to the well being of the tribal people and to raising their standard of living. On the contrary it has only worsened the situation by displacing a large number of people and depriving them of their basic right of occupation of their lands. Though organisations like Bisthapan Virodhi Ekta Manch, Adivasi Moolvasi Astitva Raksha Manch, Jharkhand Ulgulan Manch, Creaj Jan Mukti Andolan, Jharkhand Mines Area Coordination Committee and Jharkhand Indigenous People’s Forum, have been spearheading the agitation against displacement, the state continues to promote the intrusions of the big business houses. To accomplish the mission it has also been registering false cases against anti-displacement activists and threatening the villagers. (IPA Service)