6 years on, Nurpur landslip victims to be rehabilitated

In a long-overdue relief, 17 Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Scheduled Caste (SC) families of Nurpur town, who were rendered homeless by a landslide on September 19, 2019, have finally been allotted 4 marlas of government land each for reconstruction of their homes. They have been allotted land in Rampuri revenue upmohal in Ward No. 6 of the town.

These families had been living in limbo for nearly six years after their houses were severely damaged in the landslide, which left wide cracks in the structures and rendered them uninhabitable. Despite repeated appeals and sustained efforts to seek permanent rehabilitation, the process was mired in bureaucratic delays.

Initial assessments by the local administration revealed that a total of 20 houses were damaged in the landslide. While two families had their own land and managed to relocate and one family rebuilt on the same spot, 17 families were identified as landless and in need of government assistance.

Following a directive by the then MLA Rakesh Pathania, 14 of these families were temporarily relocated to vacant government quarters in areas like Revenue Colony, Silk Mills Colony, PWD Colony and the old Block Development Officer’s residence in Nurpur. The remaining three families arranged temporary shelter on their own.

The affected families were assured of permanent rehabilitation within Nurpur town. While the revenue department and local administration had initiated the process of land allotment during Pathania’s tenure, administrative bottlenecks and procedural complications dragged the process out for over five and a half years. A change in government further slowed the progress, leaving the displaced families in uncertainty.

Over the past two years, the families — accompanied by former MLA Ajay Mahajan — met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar, reiterating their demand for urgent land allotment. The issue had also been highlighted by The Tribune last year, bringing attention to the inordinate delays caused by official apathy.

Local ward councillor Shivani Sharma expressed her gratitude to all leaders who supported the cause, including former minister Rakesh Pathania, MP Rajiv Bhardwaj, current MLA Ranbir Singh Nikka and ex-MLA Ajay Mahajan. “These families finally got justice after six years of struggle,” she said.

The beneficiaries have expressed their gratitude to all those who supported their rehabilitation — cutting across political affiliations.