Rishikesh- Karnprayag Rail project: Tribunal order on compensation puts govt in tight spot
RVNL has provided a sum of Rs 496 Crore as compensation for the affected families in the 125 km long rail line project.
A series of judgments by the Land Acquisition Tribunal on the grant of compensation in the ambitious Rishikesh- Karnprayag Rail project has not only put a spanner in disbursement of compensation of the mega project but has put up a question mark on the whole process of grant of compensation in the cases of land acquisition in the state for development related projects. In its order the tribunal has said that apart from the land owners the compensation should also be given to those whose livelihood has got affected by land acquisition for the project.
According to the Right to fair Compensation and Transparency in Land acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation act -2013; the definition of the affected family is quite broad and if the orders of the Tribunal are implemented then the number and amount of compensation would increase. As per the act apart from land owners, the affected family includes tenets, labourers and artisans working in the affected area for three years prior to the acquisition.
As these orders would also have far reaching consequences and would have a bearing on all projects where land is needed to be acquired in future, the orders of the Tribunal have been challenged in the High Court by administrations of the districts concerned. The issue was discussed in detail in a meeting of officials concerned with the chief secretary of Uttarakhand. It was decided that the state government would take up the issue with the central government to seek its guidance on the important subject.
The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is constructing the 125 km long rail link between Yog Nagri Rishikesh and Karnprayag in Chamoli district.
On the basis of the report submitted by the different district administrations, The RVNL has approved a sum of Rs 496 Crore for disbursement of compensation in lieu of land acquired for Rishikesh- Karnprayag project. It is learnt that RVNL has sanctioned a sum of Rs 229 Crore for Tehri district, Rs 148 Crore for Chamoli district, Rs 93 Crore for Rudraprayag and Rs 26 Crore for Pauri district for disbursement of compensation. Many persons challenged the grant of compensation by administration in the Tribunal. The Land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement act mandates the creation of a separate Tribunal in every state for settlement of disputes in land acquisition and resettlement processes.
When contacted the Revenue secretary Sushil Kumar said that the state administration has decided to take up the issue with the union government.
It is worth mentioning here that in the Char Dham All Weather road project the compensation was given only to the land owners.
Friday, 19 February 2021 | Gajendra Singh Negi | Dehradun
