In a bid to get the people’s response on land settlement before initiating reforms, the State Government has invited a public debate. This is because phenomenal changes have befallen the State in the socio-economic and agricultural sectors over the past 50 years or so, said the Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, while interacting with the media at Bijapur on Saturday.
“land settlement has become imperative in view of our resolve to go for land reform. However, before we venture we need to have the latest information about our land availability. This is more so as lands are now divided into private lands, gram sabha lands, forest lands and the like. For this, the State Government has mooted an idea to get direct feedbacks straight from the people on land settlement through the media next month. Thereafter, the State Government would frame its own land settlement Act,” he said.
The State Government has revised the compensation amount for natural disaster victims. The 2013 disaster-affected people were getting ]
`1 lakh in case of death of their near ones, but now they would get `3 lakh for the same. For reconstruction of pucca houses, they would get `1 lakh, for kuccha houses `15,000, for partially damaged houses `5,000 and for shanties `5,000. After the 2013 disaster, the State Government had increased the compensation amounts for some specific purposes, but now the Government has made amendment so that the people would receive the revised compensation amounts. Now, the affected people would get `4,000 against the loss of clothes and `4,000 against the loss of utensils as well.
Giving clarification on the Nanda Raj Jat Yatra, Rawat said that media keeps publishing distorted news about it. He advised the media to refrain from dishing out misinformation on such a momentous pilgrimage. For instance, the State Government had never claimed that it would provide food and shelter to the pilgrims during the yatra. The responsibility rests solely with the Nanda Raj Jat Yatra Committee and the local people, who run community kitchens. “We only facilitate them by providing water, electricity, tent and sanitation. However, the State Government cannot be held accountable for this. We only made sure that all the roads along the yatra route either from Kumaon or Garhwal were cleared of debris,” he said.
He also made it clear that till Wan the yatra is being conducted under the supervision of the committee and the State Government is only assisting them. After Vedini, however, the State Government would control the yatra and will provide food and shelter to the pilgrims. “For this, we have asked the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), GMVN, forest and local administrations to arrange food and shelter for the pilgrims,” he said. The last six days of the yatra would be conducted under the control of the State Government only, he clarified. A limited number of pilgrims, who are associated with the committee or yatra, will be allowed to proceed after Vedini.
“As far as the Char Dham Yatra is concerned, we have opened all the yatra routes and it all happened with the support of the National institute of Mountaineering, police and the PWD. Besides, the GMVN and the Irrigation Department have also been involved in it,” the CM said.