During his visit, Bhattacharjee will distribute land pattas among the poor and the landless. Pattas are documents provided by the state land and land reforms department bestowing ownership of land. In all, 200 acres of land will be distributed among 1,000 people, who have already been identified. This is the second time the chief minister is visiting Nandigram after violence had erupted on the issue of land acquisition for a chemical hub. On December 26 last year, he had addressed a rally near Nandigram College.

“We are going to meet soon to decide on the venue where the CM will distribute the pattas,” said Sitaram Garai, BDO, Nandigram Bloc 1.

“We apprehended there would be resistance from local people during our survey, but nothing untoward had taken place. The chief minister responded enthusiastically when we gave him the suggestion of going there and distributing the pattas himself,” a top official of the government said. The department has already distributed pattas in Khejuri Bloc 1, Contai Bloc 1 and II, Bhagwanpore, Patashpore and areas adjacent to Nandigram. In these areas, a total of 450 acres of land had been distributed among 4,500 people.

The distribution of pattas is a part of the chief minister’s rehabilitation package. In compliance with a Calcutta High Court order, the state government has already distributed Rs 5 lakh each among the next of kin of the 13 people who died in the police firing on March 14. The government has also sanctioned Rs 1 crore for rebuilding the houses that were destroyed and for households to buy utensils.

In Nandigram Bloc 1, while 184 houses were found totally damaged, 236 houses were damaged partially. A compensation of Rs 11, 000 (Rs 1,000 for utensils) were paid to those whose houses were totally damaged and Rs 6,000 (Rs 1,000 for utensils) were paid to those whose houses were partially damaged. “I have already disbursed Rs 31 lakh for this purpose and we are in the process of identifying more such houses,” said Garai.

In Nandigram Bloc II, 99 houses were found totally destroyed and 300 houses were damaged partially. “I have already disbursed Rs 26 lakh for this puropose,” said Deepanjan Mukherjee, BDO, Nandigram Bloc II.

Following an assurance from the chief minister at his December 26 rally for developing areas like infrastructure, agriculture, irrigation and power — bloc officials have prepared detailed reports and submitted them to the government. “I have prepared projects worth Rs 40 crore which include the restoration of Hijli Tidal Canal and 12 others, development of roads, building of marketing complexes and cold storages, and upgradation of health centres, among others,” Mukherjee added.