Over half a century after it was constructed, the problems of the oustees of Bhakra Dam project in Himachal Pradesh are yet to be addressed.On his visit to Bilaspur, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday said the State Government would not allow any encroachments or regularise such illegal occupied land to those Bhakra Dam oustees who possess four to five bighas of encroached land and they would be provided only 150 square meters of land as per the policy.Addressing a public meeting at Sihra in Bilaspur district, he said that those cases where land had been encroached more than the laid down norms would also not be considered for regularisation as to settle genuine Bhakra Dam oustees was his first priority.
The Chief Minister said there were second category of cases wherein few people who were non-oustees came and settled in the Bilaspur town under the garb of oustees after the construction of Bhakra Dam, demanding regularisation of encroachments. This was against the norms and the Government would take decision on it as per the law.“The genuine oustees who were rendered homeless had been provided land or plots under the mini settlement, and their plots had also been regularised,” he said, adding, “the case regarding settlement of Pong Dam oustees had been taken up again with the Government.”