The Uttarakhand state cabinet Wednesday approved the proposed policy regarding compensation to be given to the families/individuals of Joshimath area affected by land subsidence. So far, 868 structures in Joshimath town have developed cracks – out of those 181 are in the ‘danger zone’. According to the policy, the owners of the affected houses in Joshimath can choose one of the three options. The first option is to take the entire compensation in the form of money, as per the rates decided for houses and land. Under the second option, the owners can take monetary compensation for the house and the government will provide them land (maximum 75 sqm, including 50 sqm for house and the rest for other uses) to build a house. In the third option, owners can demand a new house, against their land and existing house. The government will build new houses on 50 sqm area and provide 25 sqm for other uses. The same three options have also been provided for commercial structures such as shops, hotels and restaurants. For the compensation of commercial structures such as shops, hotels and restaurants, 5 slabs have been decided. For commercial buildings worth Rs 5 lakh, the entire amount will be given. For slab two from Rs 5 to 10 lakh, the compensation will be 40 percent, for 15 to 30 lakh it will be 30 percent, for 30-50 lakh it will be 20 percent and above 50 lakh it will be 10 percent. There is also a provision of Rs 2 lakh for those who were running a shop in a rented structure for more than one year. In case an affected family does not have valid documents to show their ownership of the land or the house, the compensation could be provided on the basis of an affidavit along with a government-issued bill (like electricity, water tax, or sewer tax bill) dated before January 2 this year. A no-dues certificate is also required. The Rs 1 lakh given to each family as part of advance relief compensation will be adjusted in the amount to be given. Those who have any dissatisfaction with the compensation can appeal to the committee formed by the district administration. The process will start after the survey of affected houses and the area is completed, and the same is compiled by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
