There will be no any forced or coercive relocation of any village falling in the tiger reserve Palamu. A resolution to this effect was taken up unanimously at latehar district voluntary relocation committee meeting chaired by DC latehar PK Gupta.
PTR field director M P Singh deputy director north A K Mishra and deputy director south Mahaling took part in this meeting held in latehar on Friday August 18. DFO latehar V S Dubey was also present. BJP Manika MlA Hareykrishan was conspicuously present in this meeting.
M P Singh said after the meeting, “It was unanimously resolved that there would be no relocation if the villagers do not like or express willingness and readiness without any fear or pressure.”
Singh said each villager’s opinion and readiness will matter most in his relocation. Singh agreed that a kind of malicious campaign has been launched by some vested interests painting PTR as the villain while the fact is that PTR stands by its commitment that no relocation if people going to be relocated do not like to seek, make a demand or urge for favour of it.
Singh further clarified that 8 villages have been described as being put on the scale of relocation while the fact is that PTR is not the least interested in relocation of as many as 4 villages namely Pindra, Bijaypur Gatuwa and Gopkharn as relocation will not serve any purpose for the PTR besides if relocation is done of these villages then the government will have to pay through its nose 50 lakhs as compensation and rehabilitation premium per family. This enormous expenditure is not worth any relocation said Singh with regard to these four villages.
Singh said vested interests are drumming more noises and raising banner of discontent without going into the fact of the issue. The villagers would know the intention of such campaigners without any more delay hoped Singh.
Sources said during the recent visit of CM Raghubar Das and CS Rajbala Verma in latehar on August 13 this issue of relocation of villages was raised wherein the Manika BJP MlA Harey Krishan too had briefed CM and CS. From PTR it was Mahaling who briefed CS Rajbala Verma said sources. Sources said villagers of Kujrum are too ready to be moved out but
Sources said CM and CS both directed the deputy director south PTR Mahaling to first take the villagers going to be affected into confidence before embarking upon any action for relocation. However Manika MlA Hareykrishan told the Pioneer that talking of relocation is not so easy as here people have been living down the PTR four or five decades.