The Revenue & Disaster Management Department of the Government of Odisha is the nodal authority to address the issues on resettlement and rehabilitation of the families displaced due to establishment of industrial projects. We are already aware that some of the persons displaced for the construction of the Hirakud Dam are yet to be appropriately settled as per their entitlements. The Government of Odisha has framed a comprehensive Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Policy, 2006. The policy has been claimed to be an exemplary one in the country.
A recent study by the Comptroller & Auditor General of India makes very informative and interesting reading. To share it with my readers: “Audit noticed that due to inadequate institutional mechanism and absence of proper planning, 798 project displaced families (PDFs) displaced during 1992-2013 in respect of 13 out of 32 test-checked industrial projects were not properly rehabilitated and full benefits due to them were not extended. Complete database in respect of number of people affected/displaced, employment provided, etc., was not available either at department or at district level.
“Socioeconomic surveys (SESs), though primarily intended as guides and basis for preparation of R&R plans and implementation of the programmes effectively were deficient in many ways. Creation of awareness among the affected families through well-defined comprehensive communication plans was lacking. SES was not published in public in all cases to invite objections due to scope for hearing was diminished. Seven industrial projects made direct purchase of 726.974 acres of land in 19 villages from private landowners without conducting SES due to which identification of affected people and their entitlement under R&R policy could not be evaluated and proper planning for them was not made though the Government was responsible to cover them under the R&R policy.
“The Rehabilitation and Periphery Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) constituted for respective projects being the principal body to approve planning for R&R of affected people and overall responsible for its implementation, left gaps in their functioning. In respect of 15 out of 32 industrial projects, SES report was not approved by RPDACs, and R&R plan for affected families was not prepared. RPDAC did not review implementation of its own decisions leaving a large number of issues unaddressed.
“There were instances where adequate employment was neither provided by industries nor the scope of self=employment created in project areas. Five industries, though targeted in consultation with RPDACs to sponsor 2,085 members for ITI training, could sponsor only 233.
“Employment or one-time cash compensation in lieu of employment was not provided to 588 project-displaced families by 10 out of 32 test-checked industries for Rs 31.92 crore. Rehabilitation assistance for Rs 22.08 crore such as compensation for double displacement, compensation for missing land, cash in lieu of employment, self-relocation allowance, house building assistance, assistance for temporary shed, maintenance allowance, etc., was lying undisbursed as of March 2013 even after passing of award ranging between 1 and 15 years. Although the Government revised the rehabilitation assistance on the basis of Wholesale Price Index, the project authorities made payment at pre-revised rate which resulted in short payment of Rs 6.66 crore. Collectors of the respective districts did not distribute Record of Rights to 1,304 out of 3,996 families as preparation of RoRs was stated to be under process, and Collectors and RPDACs had not taken follow-up action.
“Cost of public property within the acquired area was neither assessed nor realised by the district authorities, which resulted in retention of public property with the concerned industry. Benefits provided by the company in the resettlement habitat were deficient on many counts. Cases of inadequate health facility, absence of piped water supply, non-provision of pond, absence of street light, road facility, poor road maintenance, absence of place of worship and required educational institutes, etc., were noticed.
“Periphery development fund of Rs 36.48 crore was lying unutilised with Collectors of three districts. Environmental sustainability through adequate arrangements for management of factory effluents was not ensured.
“Required numbers of RPDAC meetings were not held in any of the 13 sampled districts. Review meetings conducted by the RDCs and Collectors were also inadequate and no follow-up actions were taken. Grievance redressal mechanism was inadequate as several petitions were lying unattended by the district authorities as well as project authorities.”
One lesson is clear from these CAG observations: What is projected or professed to be achieved has hardly been done in real terms. There is a gap between truth and hype. These maladies are prejudicial to the social harmony and sow the seeds of social unrest. Displacements can never be adequately compensated for. But that does not condone when what is promised is never fulfilled, especially in the public domain. There is a large section of population who are just about becoming aware of the exploitations they are subjected to.
One inclusive and constructive step could be through increased involvement of the representatives of the youth in the respective displacement and resettlement operations. Youth power ought to involve itself in the rectification of the maladies and in improving the attainments.
An army of barefoot soldiers could emerge out of the distracted youth power. The unsettled sectors of settlement and resettlement are conditioned by the cruelties of displacements. This concerns us all.
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat, a former editor and a former Advocate General of Odisha. jayantdas@hotmail.com)