Relief & rehabilitation elude Kalyannagar Muslim families

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According to officials of the VMC’s JNNURM and BSUP housing Department, a clearance has been sought from the state government through the civic body’s Town Planning Department for the construction on the land, which is said to be falling under the green belt.

F J Charpot, executive engineer, JNNURM & BSUP Department, said, “We have written to the Town Planning Department to forward the proposal to the state government for the construction of homes to rehabilitate the displaced families at Kalyannagar. This would also require environmental clearances as the land is close to the Vishwamitri River.”

On May 7, a day after arriving at a resolution with the Muslim families, the VMC had issued a public notice and said, “The proposed project will be undertaken keeping in mind the fact that it falls under the Green Belt and must be vacated. The construction would be completed as per the rules in the GDCR. Along with JNNURM Housing, the Riverfront Planning will also be kept in mind.”

However, according to the VMC’s Town Planning Department, the land chosen by the VMC in Kalyannagar was vacated from the Green Belt as far back as in 2012. K L Patel, in-charge, Town Development Officer (Town Planning & Building Permission) of the VMC, told The Indian Express that a Development Project Report of Vadodara city in 2012 marked the said land in question as a Restricted Residential Zone III.

Patel said, “We received a proposal from the housing department to clear the land from the green belt for the housing scheme in Kalyannagar. However, after scrutinising the papers, we realise that the land is already vacated from the green belt and is in fact Restricted Residential Zone III, which means that construction of up to 40 sq meters is permitted on the land. Usually, JNNURM and state government housing schemes are between 25 to 30 sq meters. So, it should not be a problem.”

Meanwhile, the promise to give rental compensation to the displaced families also remains unfulfilled, so far. According to VMC authorities, to implement the decision to disburse the rental compensation to the displaced families, a proposal in that regard has to be passed by the General Board. However, despite two General Board meetings last week, the proposal for rental compensation for the residents was not discussed.

Professor J S Bandukwala, who represented the residents before the VMC during the negotiations, said, “When VMC promised that the homes will be built on the spot where they had been demolished, the residents welcomed the decision. We are, however, waiting for things to move ahead from here. If they disburse the rent on priority, families will be able to settle in rented homes and send their children to school from June. These children have already lost out on one year of their studies due to the VMC’s thoughtless action. However, the corporation seems to be in no hurry to settle the families.”

VMC Commissioner H S Patel said that the civic body is examining the status of the land in detail before preparing the way for the construction of the homes. Patel said , “It is possible that the said location of Kalyanngar falls under different zones and the area closer to Vishwamitri will be under green belt. We are checking details of the land, but prima facie it appears that the land identified for the construction is a Restricted Residential Zone III.” Patel, however, said that the executive wing was awaiting clearance of the General Board to disburse the promised rental compensation to the families. Patel said, “As far as rent disbursement is concerned, the General Board must approve so that we can go ahead with it.”