Landslide-hit Nurpur families meet minister over rehabilitation

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, JANUARY 19

After waiting for over four years for their rehabilitation, 18 families belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories in ward number 9 in Nurpur have become restive. Disappointed over the alleged red tape in the Revenue Department in giving nod for the allotment of the land identified in Rampuri revenue upmohal in the town, the hapless families met Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar at Baduee in Nurpur Assembly constituency on Thursday where he had gone to preside over government’s ‘Sarkar Gaon ke Dwar’ programme for addressing public grievances.

Notices to vacate quarters issued

• Appealing to the minister for early land allotment to them, they said the long delay in land allotment had been posing problems to them. They had started receiving notices to vacate the occupied quarters. “We are spending sleepless nights after receiving these notices,” they lamented.

Enquiries reveal that the Kangra district revenue authorities through Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, after completing all requisite formalities, had sent cases of 18 landslide-affected families to the state government in January last year for land allotment approval. However, the authorities concerned have not granted the nod.

The landslide-affected families, who met the minister, lamented that after they were rendered homeless following massive landslide on September 19, 2019 the government had shifted them to quarters of different government departments lying vacant in Nurpur.

Appealing to the minister for early land allotment to them, they said the long delay in land allotment had started posing problems to them. They had received notices to vacate the occupied quarters. “We are spending sleepless nights after receiving these notices,” they lamented.

After taking official status of their land allotment cases from the Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Kangra, the minister assured them that he would take up the case with state revenue authorities for early approval of the land allotment.

It may be recalled that after massive landslide in September, 2019, the houses of these poor families had developed wide cracks and become unfit for habitation. Following intervention of the then local MLA, Rakesh Pathania, the administration shifted 14 out of the 18 landslide-affected families to vacant government quarters at Revenue Colony, Nurpur Silk Mills Colony, PWD Colony and Nurpur MC’s community hall at Niazpur along with the residence of the Block Development Officer (BDO) on temporary basis. Three of the remaining families had started living in their damaged houses, while another temporarily shifted to its relatives’ house at the nearby Kopra village.

The indefinite stay of displaced families in government quarters has also stopped the routine allotment of government accommodations to the employees serving in Revenue, PWD and Industry departments.

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