The Chhattisgarh government had barely approved its plan for a new capital that it got two reminders from villagers. That the plan shouldn’t mean their displacement and that their compensation should be on par with ‘‘urban’’ land costs.

Palaud village sarpanch Sharda Devi said: ‘‘The new capital must come up fast. But not at the cost of our shelter or livelihood.’’ In his assurances to representatives of the 26 villages likely to be affected, she said, ‘‘Jogi had assured zero displacement. Let him prove that.’’

Rejecting the government formula of assessing compensation, Saindh village sarpanch Barnoo Ram Kaunsle said: ‘‘Land cost must be paid at Rs 15 lakh per acre with guarantee of at least one job per family.’’ The current land price is anything between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1.15 lakh per acre. They are asking for Rs 15-18 lakh per acre. More so, because land prices have shot up as several colonisers and businessmen have bought land in peripheral villages despite a government ban.

As shopkeeper Dev Kandarkar pointed out, Jogi had told them: ‘‘You will need to bring gunny bags to take cash compensation for land.’’

Since an ultra-modern capital township is going to stand on the land, the high price, they say, is justified. ‘‘We should get the land price as that of land at Raipur’s Jaisitabh chowk or Ravi Bhawan,’’ argued Roopan Lal of village Parsada.

What has added to their anxiety is that Jogi hasn’t yet disclosed the names of villages which will be most affected.

In village Riko, which will be the gateway to the proposed capital city, the locals raised Rs 1.50 lakh to built a school building. Sarpanch Sharda Devi said: ‘‘An overhead water tank has just been completed but water supply pipes have not yet been laid. Now we are told works may be suspended for the new capital.’’

Of the 26 villages initially surveyed for the capital, at least 12 are expected to be fully affected and six others partially, in the first phase. But government claims 70 per cent of the land is either government land or non-cultivable land owned by the villages, for which adequate compensation will be paid. ‘‘It’s for these reasons that a committee of five has been set up to monitor the rehabilitation plan and ensure that villagers also gain out of the capital plan. No village will be relocated or displaced,’’ Jogi assured.

Now joining the villagers’ protests is the Opposition questioning Jogi’s move and the need for a new capital. ‘‘Is the capital project a real necessity at this stage or farmers’ problems, Naxals, unemployment and poverty alleviation should be given priority,’’ Leader of Opposition Nand Kumar Sai said.

He accused Jogi of not taking Opposition or even his own party MLAs into confidence. In his defence, Jogi said: ‘‘I kept the capital issue apolitical to ensure that only professionals have a say in designing the future of the city.’’