land acquisition/sez & displacement – 2011 - Indian Social Institute

Jayant Malaiya for preparing new rehabilitation policy. The committee will recommend amendments in themodel rehabilitation policy of the year 2002. The committee also discussed about the points of NationalRehabilitation Policy of the year 2007. The sub-committee was of the opinion that subsidy to therehabilitated persons should be given in cash. After acquisition of land in the rural areas, plot of 500 sqmetres should be given to each displaced family and if the land acquisition is made in the urban areas theplot given should be of the size of 250 sq metres. The committee agreed that as employment subsidy tothe displaced family, an amount of Rs 50,000 should be given and for transportation of household goods,`15,000 should be given. The committee was of the opinion that if a person's land is acquired for settingup industry, a member of the person's family should be given employment in the factory. Provisions arebeing made in the policy for education and employment-oriented training to the children of the displacedpersons. (Pioneer, 04/05/2011)Permanent rehabilitation for 233 disaster-prone villages in offingThe State Government is now planning for permanent rehabilitation of as many as 233 villages across theState, which are prone to natural disasters. Among others, Pithorgarh, Chamoli, Pauri, Tehri andUttarkashi are the most vulnerable to the various kind of natural calamities. Earlier, there were about 100villages, which were identified as highly-vulnerable to natural disaster and considered for rehabilitation.Now the list of such villages has gone up to 233, said Minister for Disaster Management Khajan Daswhile talking to The Pioneer. The respective Governments have not been serious for years aboutsettlement of these villages which are vulnerable from various kind of natural disasters like floods andlandslides. But given increasing cases of natural calamities that the hill State has been bearing with oflate coupled with demands of the affected families now the Government seems to be serious for theirrehabilitation. “The State Government have also urged the Centre to assist in the rehabilitation of suchvulnerable villages,” the Minister said, adding that the State would not be able to carry out such task on itsown. Khajan Das said that the State Government suggested the Centre various steps so that peoplecould be relocated in safer places. However, Khajan Das alleged, there is no positive response from theCentre so far. Several rounds of talks were held between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister in thisregard. The Prime Minister though assured that a committee would be set up to look into these issues, noprogress is has been made so far, he added. (Pioneer, 05/05/2011)Rugdih, the new address for displacedSailing through all odds, finally the displaced families during the anti-encroachment drive will have theirnew address at Rugdih area behind Uphaar Cinemas in Ratu Road. Many families, who got displacedduring the anti-encroachment drive carried out by the district administration by the orders of JharkhandHigh Court, can now be reached at Rugdih, at Ratu Road, as it would serve a temporary residence for thedislocated people in form of residential make-shifts. After series of talks held in between the politicalbodies, and the immense pressure mounting on the state government, the decision to bring about arehabilitation policy for the displaced during the demolition drive at the spur-of-the-moment, at last istaking its shape. Giving a serious thought over the fate of displaced people during the course of antiencroachmentdrive carried out across the State on the High Court orders; the State Government’sdecision in the Cabinet meeting of April 30, brought a little sigh of relief for the dislocated. Arranging atemporary rehabilitation policy for the people, the State Government had allotted `1 crore for fundingproper development of tents, camps for the displaced. In a bid to rehabilitate the displaced, a committeeof Urban Development Department (UDD), Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), and Ranchi RegionalDevelopment Authority (RRDA) was formed to identify land and advancement to develop temporaryresiding centers for the deprived, within 10 days of the meeting. “The RMC has identified land at Rugdiharea for the purpose and has been approved by RRDA and UDD. The vacant space of land is of RMCand will be utilized for restoring the poor for the time till there are no arrangements made for thepermanent shelters,” answered RMC CEO Vinay Chaubey. “The process for establishing therehabilitation centre has already begun from Wednesday at the area. Building up of water-proof tents, andproviding them with facilities of electricity, water-supply and bathrooms would be installed soon,” addedChaubey. Informing to issue an advertisement for bringing in the displaced people to reside in theseshelters, Chaubey informed: “We shall be putting up an advertisement in the local media, as soon as thework of constructing a temporary and makeshift shelter-place gets finished within 1-2 days, so as we canrush in such people in a better and comfortable living zone for some time.” As the temporary houses willbe filled up, then RMC will start off locating another land for settling the displaced people, accepted that