Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 27: About five years after the commissioning of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Project on river Chenab, 145 families, whose residential and commercial structures were submerged due to impounding of reservoir at Pul Doda, have not yet been rehabilitated. These families have been denied their rightful claim till today despite the fact that a comprehensive Resettlement and Rehabilitation Plan is prepared prior to the start of work on any such project.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that prior to the impounding of reservoir of Baglihar Hydroelectric Project, the district administration identified 134 kanal of land at village Paryote for the rehabilitation of the population of Pul Doda and Government kept an amount of Rs 5.85 crore for the purpose.
However, the land could not be acquired due to challenging of the decision in the court of law on the ground that acquiring agricultural land for rehabilitation of one set of people at the cost of another set of populace would not be a justified action on the part of the Government, sources said.
“Thereafter the then district administration didn’t pay any serious attention towards the identification of alternate land for rehabilitation of the affected population of Pul Doda”, they said, adding “in the meantime, the alternate seven kilometer long road constructed by GREF was found unworthy for vehicular traffic because of sharp and dangerous curves and it was declared unsafe for use”.
“The challenge to the Government identified land and unfruitful expenditure on construction of seven kilometer long road by the GREF clearly indicate that right from the very beginning the rehabilitation of the affected populace was not prioritized by the concerned authorities”, sources said.
In the recent past, the Government decided to get alternate and safe road constructed through the Public Works Department and accordingly, District Development Commissioner, Mubarak Singh got the papers of the land to be acquired for the road prepared and furnished revised plan to the Revenue Department for consideration and final decision, sources said.
They disclosed that even Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey during his visit to Doda district in the month of May had found it imperative to get expedited the rehabilitation of owners of structures (residential and commercial) submerged due to impounding of Baglihar reservoir.
“The revised plan will be discussed by the Chief Secretary in the first week of next month in a meeting to be attended by Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Planning and Revenue Departments”, sources informed, adding “following the approval of the Chief Secretary, the Revenue Department will prepare a memorandum for placement before the Cabinet for final nod”.
In reply to a question, sources said, “the revised plan is required to be approved by the Cabinet as earlier plan worth Rs 5.85 crore for the land at Paryote was also approved by the Cabinet”, adding “moreover, as per the revised plan additional amount of Rs 6.42 crore is required for the construction of road as well as rehabilitation of families”.
“The compensation for the residential houses has already been paid. These 145 are those families which were staying at Pul Doda only because of their business activities”, they said, adding “soon after the Cabinet gives nod to the revised plan the district administration will start land acquisition process. The alternate road to be constructed by R&B Department would be around 3 kilometer in length as compared to earlier road, which is having a length of 7 kilometers”.
As per the revised plan, a total of 190 kanal of land would be acquired out of which 140 kanal would be for rehabilitation purpose and 50 kanal for the road.
Follow our WhatsApp channel