Package for Gosikhurd project-hit announced

NAGPUR, JUNE 20: District Guardian Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday announced a package for speedy rehabilitation of villagers affected by the Gosikhurd irrigation project. It includes allotment of land in the command area and reservation of jobs in semi-government organisations and schools.The announcement, however, failed to impress the gathering of affected villagers attending the first-ever janata darbar held at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall to discuss the long pending problem of rehabilitation of villagers in Nagpur and Bhandara district. About 107 villages faced direct threat of submergence, while another 93 villages in the two districts are likely to be affected partially due to the dam being constructed across Wainganga river.

The major announcements made by Gadkari included five percent reservation for the displaced persons in recognised government and public schools, Corporations and Cooperatives, providing land in the command area to the displaced on payment of 65 per cent of compensation and alittle money over it, and simultaneous implementation of all phases of the rehabilitation programme as to expedite them. The new Rehabilitation Act, passed by both Houses of State Legislature, is pending for the approval of the Governor.However, questions are already being raised on the feasibility of these announcements keeping in view the current embargo of the State Government on recruitment and the steep hike of land prices witnessed in the command area. The ambitious Gosikhurd irrigation project is estimated to irrigate over five lakh acres of land in the Nagpur and Bhandara districts of east Vidarbha. Over 60,000 persons from 200 villages in the two districts are likely to be affected by the project.

Gadkari said that the previous experiences of dam construction in the State have shown that the phase-wise rehabilitation programme have never succeeded. Not only do they lead to inflation of the project cost, the delays caused by the implementation of these phases invite ire of the project-affectedpeople.

8220;It may cause a delay in the beginning, but later you will find the work speeded up,8221; Gadkari said. According to Gadkari the State Government would offer the project-affected people to choose piece of land that would come under irrigation after completion of the dam. Such farmers will have to pay 65 per cent of the compensation received by them, besides the difference between the market value of the irrigated land and the compensation deposited.

The offer further includes payment of the difference in installments and too an year after the land is brought under the irrigation, he said. Besides, a free housing would be provided to the landless farmers and farm labourers from the project-affected area under the Indira Awas Yojana.