Govt will denotify land for hydro project victims: Minister

Shivamogga: Feb 27: Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology B Ramanath Rai has said that the government would denotify the land identified to rehabilitate the Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project victims.

He was speaking at a review meeting of the rehabilitation for the Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project victims, at the Zilla Panchayat here on Thursday.

He said the State government had issued several orders to the project victims from 1959 to 1966, which had failed to benefit the people due to the absence of denotification of land. So, the government would denotify the identified land for the victims, the minister added.

If not, the government would conduct the survey of land where they are rehabilitated now and the same would be handed over to them as per the norms, Rai said. A committee comprising officials of Forest and Revenue departments would be formed for the survey. A nodal officer will also be appointed for the supervision of the survey, he added.

‘Blueprint not available’

Reacting to it, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest G V Suguru said the State government had issued 167 orders and had identified lands for them in various places across the district. But nobody has accurate information on the availability of land and the locations, he said. The blueprint is also not available. So, the lands need to be identified at the earliest, Suguru said.

Besides, there is no clarity on what needs to be done with the lands that are being used by these victims for cultivation and dwelling purpose. These lands can be handed over to them provided the government has no objection to it, he added.

In response, Rai said the government had no objection to it.