Three settlement plans submitted for Joshimath, residents seek clarity

Dehradun: The Chamoli district administration in Uttarakhand has made three proposals for the settlement of the displaced people in crisis-hit Joshimath and is likely to present them before the state cabinet soon, people aware of the matter said, even as local residents claimed the plans lacked clarity and sought details of compensation

Dehradun: The Chamoli district administration in Uttarakhand has made three proposals for the settlement of the displaced people in crisis-hit Joshimath and is likely to present them before the state cabinet soon, people aware of the matter said, even as local residents claimed the plans lacked clarity and sought details of compensation.

As many as 251 families have been shifted to temporary relief camps so far, ever since residential buildings and other structures began developing cracks from the first week of January. (PTI)

On Monday, Chamoli district magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana proposed three options for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced families in the holy town before a high-powered committee headed by additional chief secretary Anand Vardhan.

As many as 251 families have been shifted to temporary relief camps so far, ever since residential buildings and other structures began developing cracks from the first week of January. While land subsidence was suspected to be the reason behind the damages, a recent analysis by an earth scientist suggested it was due to a gradual but accelerated landslide.

Addressing reporters on Monday, state disaster management secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said as part of the rehabilitation process, the first proposal of the district administration offers a one-time settlement plan for the affected land or building owners. Under this, the affected will receive compensation as per prescribed standards. However, before they are paid fully, the land/building of the affected person will have to be registered in favour of the state government.

“Under the second option, land up to a maximum area of 100 square metres will be provided to the affected land/building owners for house construction and compensation for the affected building. In case of more than 100 square metres of land, the affected landowners will be paid for the rest of the land as per norms,” he said.

Before making the full payment to the affected land/building owners and before allotting land up to an area of 100 square metres for house construction, the registry of the land/building of the affected person will also have to be done in favour of the state government, he added.

Under the third option, a building will be constructed on land up to a maximum area of 75 square metres at an identified place for rehabilitation of the affected. If the valuation of the affected residential building/land is more than the land/accommodation being provided, then the remaining amount will be paid to the displaced.

In this option too, the registry of the disaster affected land/building will have to be done in favour of the state government, Sinha said.

Officials did not provide any details on the compensation.

While the three proposals are likely to come up before the state cabinet for consideration, Sinha said it would only be clear if rehabilitation is required from the affected areas after the final reports of the technical agencies studying the situation.

“A consensus would be built with the affected families if the reports suggest rehabilitation,” he said.

“These proposals will soon come up in the cabinet meeting for consideration,” he added.

Local residents claimed all the three proposals lacked clarity and sought more details of the compensation.

“We are okay with the one-time settlement but they should clarify the rate of compensation. It should be adequate. In the hills, building a house is an uphill task and requires a lot of money,” Jagdish Negi, one of the affected residents, said.

Digambar Rawat, who has been living in a relief camp at Nagar Palika Parishad building since January 3, after his house developed cracks, said: “First, they should make it clear that they will allot land. How would they decide? If somebody lived in a good locality close to the Badrinath highway, would they be paid better? Even in the one-time settlement option, they have not made it clear at what rate they will pay.”

Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti convener Atul Sati said he is waiting for the cabinet decision on the proposals.

“It is just a proposal. It lacks clarity. The government’s policy framework for the rehabilitation of the affected people is yet to come. These are just pieces of information,” he said.

“We had asked them to consider the Centre’s Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, which covers every section of the society, including businessmen. These proposals will now be presented before the cabinet. Let’s see in which form they are passed,” he added.