Rajasthan government concedes to demand of Pong dam oustees

Shimla, Aug 7 (UNI) Rajasthan today agreed to accommodate Pong Dam oustees in Indira Gandhi canal areas and address all their grievances in a just and time-bound manner.

A meeting in this regard was recently held here between Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Sat Mahajan and Rajasthan Public Works Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore.

Mr Mahajan, who is the Chairman of the Ministerial Committee on Rehabilitation of Rajasthan Pong Dam oustees, said in a statement today that both the governments had agreed to solve all the pending issues and demands in a time-bound frame.

The Himachal Pradesh government will complete all the procedural and legal formalities in next three months and will send the cases complete in all respect to the Rajasthan government, he added, The Rajasthan government will decide all the cases in positive and sympathetic manner within two months of receiving the report from the Himachal government and all the pending issues will be settled thereafter, he added.

He said that Rajasthan Government had agreed to provide plots to 341 Pong Dam oustees and thereafter the rest would be rehabilitated.

He said allotted land will have minimum 50 percent irrigated area and the oustees would be allotted land in clusters to anable them to live closer to each other.

The Rajasthan government had agreed to provide vacant land and it would be ensured that there is no legal or administrative problem in allocating the land, he added.

He said it had been agreed that the concerned Deputy Commissioners will visit Pong Dam Oustees Settlement Area once in a month and concerned Minister will hold camp once in three months to solve all the demands of the oustees.

He said the Rajasthan government would provide possession of land to 341 allottees who could not be provided physical possessions as per the Section 8-A and 8-AA of 1981 agreement.

UNI XC HS VA KP2250