Matters have come to such a pass that the state government has sought the help of police in settling the matter. And though K R Singh, officiating group general manager, ONGC, was not in favour of using force, Bhatt is of the view that the administration will have to seek police help ``as all other alternatives have been exhausted''.

The villagers, in turn, have threatened that if force is used, they would launch a peaceful agitation. They would even move court in such an event, though most are wary of doing so, as one villager said, ``Bahut lafda hai, paisa aur waqt dono kharch ho jaye ga''.While each have their own story to tell, the farmers are least convinced by the ONGC's arguments. Jujarsinh Vaghela, a villager who claims to be losing 1.25 acres of land, complained that farmers of village Jaspur in Kalol were getting higher compensation amount from the ONGC. Anand Giri Goswami, another villager, demanded that the villagers should be compensated for the destruction of standing crop for three years and not one as is the practice.

But perhaps it's for the first time the ONGC, Ahmedabad project, has had farmers rejecting the offer made to them as compensation. They have instead insisted on some demands which the ONGC officials term as ``impossible''. state government officials too call it ``illegal, unjustified and against national interest''.

Usually, as a matter of procedure in such cases, the ONGC first identifies the area to be dug and explored, it then intimates this to the Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) who surveys the land and assesses the value of the land. The SLAO then informs this to the ONGC which sends notice to the farmers making payments through cheque to the SLAO. Farmers then collect it from the SLAO. People cannot refuse to part with land being acquired thus, although they may file petition in court to have the matter re-examined.

But it's been one year since the mamlatdar took possession -- by law -- of 3.75 acre of land and the ONGC deposited the compensation amount with the (SLAO) but so far none of the 12 farmers, whose land is desired to be taken possession of, has come forward to collect it as a mark of protest.

Bipin J Bhatt, Deputy Collector and SLAO, has sent several notices to the concerned villagers but they have refused to receive them. As a special case, Collector of Gandhinagar Sanjay Prasad himself visited the village with sub-divisional magistrate, SLAO and Mamlatdar thrice last month in a futile bid to persuade the villagers.

Although the villagers are supposed to collect the cheque from SLAO's office here -- again as a special case -- Bhatt himself went to the village with the cheques and tried to convince them that they could ``receive it with objections'' and later move court for revision of the compensation amount, but this too has failed to make the villagers shift their stand.

The villagers have been increasing their demand from the very beginning. Initially, expressing dissatisfaction with the compensation amount, they asked for enhanced payment. The ONGC agreed to pay them Rs 50,000 as crop compensation and Rs 6,800 per acre as annual rent. Then they raised the demand for widening of roads and digging of tube-wells in the village which was also accepted by ONGC.

Now the villagers say they don't want any monetary compensation; instead the ONGC should provide them land within one km of the acquired land and provide a permanent job with the ONGC to the affected parties. These demands meanwhile are totally unacceptable to the state government and ONGC.

Gandhinagar Collector Sanjay Prasad, when contacted, said the government was paying maximum compensation under law. The farmers have been offered the cost of production of their crops as well as the maximum recorded output for three years when the land will be in temporary possession of ONGC, he said, adding that the affected villagers would be getting much more than what they would have earned out of cultivation and that too without putting any effort.

Bhatt too feels the government has to act according to rules prescribed by law and that nowhere in the 1,000-odd oil wells in four districts has land been given in lieu of acquired land. He said the ONGC would even appoint one of the affected farmers as security man to guard the well till it exists there.

But allegations are flying thick and fast from both sides. Dalpat Singh Vaghela, whose 1.25 acre land is proposed to be acquired, claimed that he was earning Rs 1 lakh every year by cultivating cotton in his land whereas he has been offered only Rs 32,000 as compensation. ``For this too I would have to run from pillar to post,'' he said.

Bhatt is, however, quick to dispute this fact. He says that specialists from state agriculture department in Mehsana and Vijapur were invited by the collector to assess the productivity of the land and they approved the compensation amount being offered. Prasad also maintains that productivity claims made by the farmers are preposterous. ``If what they are claiming is true, then they should be recommended for a national award,'' he quipped.

Meanwhile, Babaji Dajiji Vaghela, village sarpanch, without commenting on the villagers' demand of land in lieu of acquired land and a permanent job with ONGC, says the amount offered to the farmers was not satisfactory. He said the ONGC should pay some money to the panchayat and carry out some more developmental activities there.