Kutch Farmers Take on KP Energy, ABREL Projects Over Power Line

KUTCH : A renewable energy project in Kutch has triggered a sharp confrontation between farmers and corporate power developers, with Gen-Z farmer leader Mayur Khedutputra warning KP Energy and ABREL Projects against alleged unauthorised entry into agricultural land at Bandiya village in Abdasa taluka.

“If they enter even one inch into our farmlands, we will move 100 inches into their offices in Surat and Mumbai,” Khedutputra told TBT, accusing the companies of ignoring farmers’ rights while laying infrastructure for a high-voltage transmission line.

The dispute centres on alleged installation of wires and power-line structures on private agricultural land belonging to farmer Bhanushali Mahesh Liladhar Khimji. Khedutputra, accompanied by farmers from Bandiya, visited the KP Group office in Surat to protest what he described as unauthorised entry into the farmland without prior notice.

He later travelled to Mumbai and sought answers from officials of ABREL Projects, an Aditya Birla Group entity involved in the renewable energy project.

“We are farmers and are not afraid of police action or court cases. They have already registered a complaint against us because we entered their Surat office. We are ready for 100 FIRs, but we will not give an inch of our land to corporate companies,” Khedutputra said.

“The KP Group and ABREL Projects should have given prior notices to the farmers for the erection and installation of wires in their farmland, which was not done in this case. First they placed high-voltage wire in Bhanushali’s farm land and then served him with the notice. The KP Energy officials are not giving satisfactory anwers to our questions. They are saying that police and collector are in their pockets” said Khedutpura

According to the farmer’s representation to the Kutch District Collector, work involving Survey Nos. 638 and 640/1 allegedly began before proper notices and damage assessments were completed. The farmer has claimed that retrospective notices were issued only after work had commenced.

The complaint also alleges that alternative routes through government wasteland, roadsides or canal banks were not adequately explored. Farmers have raised concerns over possible damage to fertile land, borewells, drip irrigation systems, trees and pipelines.

Khedutputra has demanded that construction be halted until the allegations are examined and compensation and land-use issues are resolved through due process.

The dispute involves a larger renewable energy infrastructure project. KP Energy disclosed in 2024 that it had received orders from Aditya Birla-linked entities for development of a 368.55 MW wind capacity project in Gujarat, including a 220 KV transmission line for evacuation of 673 MW.

KP Energy’s website also states that its project services include site identification, land acquisition, right-of-way arrangements and construction of high-voltage transmission infrastructure.

TBT contacted KP Group communications in-charge Raja Shaikh for the company’s response to the allegations. Calls were unanswered and no reply was received to the WhatsApp message seeking clarification.