The Bengal government has decided to make some alterations in the existing rehabilitation package for people who will lose land because of the proposed Deocha-Pachami coal mine project in Birbhum district.

As part of the plan, minors will get an allowance of Rs 10,000 each a month till they turn 18 and those not fulfilling the required criteria for jobs as constables will be appointed as group-D employees in nearby offices.

“These alterations in the rehabilitation package have been made based on feedback from the ground that suggested several land losers were not eligible to join the constabulary for not fulfilling age, physical measurement and educational qualification criteria,” said a source.

According to the package, one member from each of the land-losing families will get a government job as a junior constable. So far, 354 persons have been appointed as junior constables and more than 200 are in the queue.

“Among around 1,000 families that agreed to part with their land for the project, we got at least 200 families from which no one could qualify for the job of a constable.... The first phase of mining can’t be started without getting these 200-odd families on board. So, the changes were made to the rehabilitation package,” said a senior official.

Sources said the government had revised the broad contours of the package following reports that those who could not fulfil the criteria to get the jobs were joining hands with those opposed to the project.

The additional chief secretary of the power department has issued an order about the government decision on the revision in the compensation package, which was approved by the state cabinet on September 19. The proposal has been sent to the finance department for its formal consideration.

“We have received the government order and the process of offering jobs with the new criteria will start soon... The new order will help us to provide employment to at least 200 land-losing families, who failed to get a government job so far,” Birbhum district magistrate Bidhan Ray said.