After struggling for 6 years, Navy jawan in Himachal fails to save his land, house; fell 'prey' to govt system

After struggling for six years, Suram Singh, a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) and jawan of the Indian Navy, and a resident of Khadehtar in Danni gram panchayat in Nurpur, has lost over 60 kanal of fertile agricultural land and a pucca house thanks to the apathy of the state government and the red tape of government officials.

He had been running from pillar to post since August 2019 when a massive landslide near his inhabited area had changed the course of the Jabbar rivulet.

His precious agricultural land and orchard had started facing the problem of soil erosion ever since the rivulet had changed its course. But now, the relentless heavy rain during the past three days has damaged his house, forcing his family to leave the house and relocate to a neighbour's house. While serving in the Indian Navy, he had spent his hard-earned money, around Rs 40 lakhs, for the construction of his house in his native village, but his sad state of affairs had started after a landslide changed the course of the rivulet toward his fertile land and house.

Talking to The Tribune, he narrated his tale of woes for saving his inhabited area.

"After the rivulet changed course, he approached the local administration, and right from the then Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, to SDM Nurpur and former MLA Rakesh Pathania, all visited and examined the threat to my house. I was assured that maximum help would be rendered to save my house and was promised government land at another place for the construction of a new house and the rehabilitation of my family. But even after waiting for six years, nothing happened, and finally, I lost my house two days ago due to relentless soil erosion near the house," he lamented.

Suram Singh said during his deputation duty in the PMO during the previous Jairam Thakur government in 2019, he succeeded in communicating to the state government to expedite the ongoing process of land allotment and safety measures to protect his house. After a second reminder, the government authorities swung into action and identified land for his family’s rehabilitation.

"After procuring all requisite no objection certificates and completing official formalities, a file was prepared for exchanging my 25 kanal damaged land and was submitted to the state revenue department authorities through the DC Kangra. After waiting for over three years, I personally visited the office of the Secretary of the Revenue Department in February last year to plead my case, but that file has still been gathering dust in that office," he lamented. He has appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene and allot government land in lieu of his washed-away land due to soil erosion.

SDM Nurpur Arun Sharma, who has recently joined here, said that the affected family had been shifted to a safe house after their house was damaged, and the higher authorities were apprised of their problem. He said all possible assistance would be extended to the family by the administration. He said another family of Nek Ram at Tika Nagrota village had temporarily been shifted to a local government school building today, keeping in view the safety of the family after its house was under the threat of a landslide.