State set to lose NDRF battalion project to neighbouring Punjab

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 16

The state is likely to lose another prestigious project due to the non-availability of land. The Centre had proposed to bring up the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalion in Kangra district and the previous BJP government had proposed to bring up the battalion in Nurpur area of Kangra district.

The NDRF battalion was to be brought up though the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

But sources here said the ITBP was not showing interest in the project due to the high cost of land being charged for it. It was not responding to the communication from the state government regarding the acquisition of land for the project and bringing up the NDRF battalion.

Sources said the ITBP had selected a 17-hectare plot in Kopra village of Nurpur subdivision in Kangra district for bringing up the NDRF battalion. In addition to that the ITBP had also selected an adjoining 23-hectare land for the project.

The state government carried out the proceedings under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, to acquire the said land for setting the NDRF battalion.

The state government accorded approval to the land acquisition award amounting to Rs 12.67 crore on August 31, 2012. Besides an award of Rs 2.36 crore was also decided for the forestland required for the project.

The state government had written to the ITBP to deposit the said amount with the state government so that the land in question could be acquired for bringing up the NDRF battalion. However, the ITBP has not responded to the government’s proposal to acquire land so far owing its high cost, sources said.

Congress MLA from Nurpur Ajay Mahajan said the proposal to set up the NDRF battalion in his constituency was brought up by the Congress government in power. However, during the stint of previous BJP government no serious effort was made to bring the battalion to Nurpur.

“I will meet BJP MP from Kangra Shanta Kumar and request him to bring the project to the state as the NDA government is in power at the Centre. The present Congress government has already written to the PM for bringing up the NDRF battalion in Nurpur. I also took up the matter in the Assembly.”

Sources, however, said the Punjab Government had offered the land for free in Ladowal area to the ITBP for bringing up the NDRF battalion, adding that the ITBP was now likely to be set up in Punjab.

Bottlenecks 

• The ITBP had selected a 17-hectare plot in Kopra village in Kangra district for bringing up the NDRF battalion. 
• The state government accorded approval to the land acquisition award amounting to Rs12.67 cr on Aug 31, 2012 
• Besides an award of Rs2.36 crore was also decided for the forestland required for the project
• The state government had written to the ITBP to deposit the said amount with the state government so that the land in question could be acquired for bringing up the NDRF battalion, but ITBP has not responded so  far 

All about NDRF 

• At present, NDRF consists of 10 battalions, two each from the BSF, CRPF, two CISF and ITBP. Each battalion provides 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel each 
• The total strength of each battalion is approximately 1,149