The state cabinet on Monday approved further sweetening of the rehabilitation package for land losers in Birbhum’s Deocha-Pachami to try and ensure consent for the coal mine project, which the Mamata Banerjee government is trying to roll out in the shortest possible time.

“The cabinet has enhanced the compensation package for land losers of Deocha-Pachami... We also want to ensure there will be no forceful acquisition of land. The project will come up on the land whose owners will come up voluntarily to part with their plots,” said Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna on Monday after the cabinet meeting.

Sources said the government revised its compensation package after it received reports that some organisations were carrying out “anti-land grab” protests in the area.

Under the revised package, land losers would get a dwelling unit of 700 sqft instead of 600sqft promised earlier.

Those who don’t opt for these dwelling units will get Rs 7 lakh under the revised package instead of Rs 5 lakh.

Moreover, the subsistence allowance for a year for affected families would be Rs 1.5 lakh instead of Rs 1 lakh announced earlier.

In the original package, the government had promised government jobs in the rank of junior constable to one member of each of the land-losing families. But as it was found that many of the affected have higher educational qualifications, the government has now decided to give those with better qualifications jobs of the rank of constables.

“The cabinet has approved creation of 5,100 posts for this purpose,” Mamata said.

In addition, those living on government land for a long period will get long-term settlement rights and benefits of the compensation package.

The state government rolled out a detailed community development initiative for the area, with plans for a hostel for Scheduled Tribe students, a pathsala for students of the area and a motor training centre.

The state would also repair and strengthen 10 roads in the area at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Sources said that though the state government has already secured consent from more than 1,000 families out of 4,000 families whose land would have to be acquired for the project, it decided to give more benefits to the land losers hoping this would encourage more families to accept the compensation.

The chief minister, however, made it clear that those who would not like to part with their plots would not be forced to sell their plots for the project. “We will take land from those who voluntarily agree... There will be no forceful acquisition. The project will go ahead on the government land and on the land parcels voluntarily given by local people,” she said.

Senior government officials said Mamata wants the roll out of the project badly as it is exp-ected to generate more than 1 lakh employment opportunities.

"This is huge in a state that lacks industries. The chief minister is determined to implement the project but smoothly," said a bureaucrat.