PAP resettlement poor in district: AG
Delay resulted in avoidable expenditure of Rs 2.2 crore
A recent report of the Auditor General (AG) paints a poor picture of rehabilitation of project affected persons (PAPs) in Pune. Other than a dismal rate of distribution of alternative land to PAPs,the report indicates mismanagement and delay resulting in an “avoidable expenditure” of Rs 2.2 crore.
Documents accessed by The Indian Express show that the AG office audited the rehabilitation of PAPs of 10 projects in Pune district. According to the Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act,1999,PAPs are eligible for land or plots in lieu of payment of occupancy fee.
Mostly,lands are granted by the office of the deputy collector and entails a tedious process of scrutinizing claims. The final grant is made by a government notification that allows the land to be transferred in the name of the claimant.
The audit noted that of the 11,241 PAPs,alternative land was allotted to 6,353 and the remaining 4,888 are yet to be resettled.
Only 186 of the 439 PAPs of Gunjalwadi,and 39 of 53 PAPs in Thitewadi got land. None of the 28 PAPs of Temghar and 60 of Bhama Askhed was allocated land. Resettlement of PAPs in these four projects has been pending for years. The Gunjalwadi project was notified in 1994,Thitewadi in 1989,Temghar in 1994 and Bhama Askhed in 1989.
The auditors noted that the Act specifies that the state government has to pay a special grant to PAPs who have deposited occupancy fee but have not been allotted land. The Act states that the special grant is “Rs 400 per mensem from the date of actual displacement of the person from the land to the date of allotment of land in the benefited zone”.
“Thus,a delay in allotment of alternative land resulted in avoidable payment of special grant of Rs 2.2 crore to PAPs,” the AG report stated.
In a written answer to the AG observations,the department had stated that the delay was due to failure of PAPs of Gunjalwadi in seeking alternative land of their choice. It stated that all efforts are being made to allot alternative land to eligible PAPs on application complete in all respects. The report stated that the reply is not acceptable and the state government is liable to pay a special grant for all the affected persons.
Suniti S R of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) stated that in most cases projects are pushed through without rehabilitating PAPs. “In many cases land granted to PAPs is in bits and pieces and contrary to the Act is not in command area of dams. Rehabilitation is never taken seriously by the bureaucracy and thus villagers suffer,” she said.
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