Involuntary Displacement and Resettlement — Policy and ... - CEPA

8 Issues and conclusionsIssuesAbout a half of PAPs, who lived in slum and shanty settlements withoutproper legal rights, have been, and are being successfully resettled, in siteson or off the catchment area, according to their choice. However, the projectis faced with the following procedural delays in dealing with the entitlementsto legal land owners, mainly due to the delay in amending the existing LandAcquisitions Act of 1960 incorporating the NIRP principles:1234Long bureaucratic and conventional process of landacquisition – Started five years ago, but still not fully completed.Undue delays in land surveying - Land surveying foracquisitions can be done only through the Survey Department andthis has contributed to the delay in the land acquisition process.Undue delay in the valuation process and issues relating tovaluation methodology - PAPs were given a choice of obtainingtheir entitlement, either the replacement cost of the land andhouse or the market value, whichever is higher. Almost allhouseholds with no tenure rights accepted the entitlementpackage offered by the project, based on the replacement cost,aware of not having legal ownership of the land. However, themiddle and higher income groups, who have legal ownership ofland, are waiting for their valuation reports ( done by the ValuationDepartment) to compare it with the replacement cost packageoffered by the project. The bureaucratic delays of the valuationhave created unrest and uncertainty among PAPs.Issues relating to land title: It has been revealed that deedsfor most of the lands acquired are not clear, and title disputescause undue delays in the valuation of lands.162