The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposed policy for compensation on the permanent displacement of land and buildings of disaster affected people in land subsidence hit Joshimath town.
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Providing a briefing on the Cabinet decision, Ranjit Sinha, Secretary, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Department, said the policy was based on cost, options, and conditions.
He said the rate of compensation for residential buildings would be calculated by applying cost index to the plinth area rates of the Central Public Works Department. The final compensation would be calculated after the deduction of depreciation for the affected building from the cost of the upcoming building.
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A similar form of relief could be availed for commercial structures for which the government had created five different slabs, with compensation to be provided in accordance with criteria detailed under each slab.
“For the permanent rehabilitation of disaster affected families, the government is offering them three options,” Mr. Sinha said.
The first is opt for compensation for their damaged residential building along with land at the prescribed rates.
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In the second option, the affected person or family can seek land from the government and compensation for the damaged building. A maximum area of land up to 75 square metres (50 metres for building construction and 25 metres for cow shed/other works) would be provided for the construction of a residential building.
In the third option, the disaster affected person or family can demand a residential building constructed relative to his land and building. Buildings will be constructed by the State government on land up to a maximum area of 50 sq. m., with 25 sq. m. of land for cow sheds/other works.
In case the owner wants the government to build a shop or other commercial establishment such as a hotel, dhaba (eatery), etc., he or she could opt to get compensation for their damaged commercial building/shop at the prescribed rate, and compensation for land at rates to be determined in the future on the basis of reports from technical institutions.
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“If the disaster-affected person demands land for a shop/business establishment after receiving the compensation for the building, then, in such a situation, land up to a maximum area of 15 sq. m. will be provided for the construction of the shop/business establishment,” Mr. Sinha added.
If the affected person wanted the government to build a shop or business establishment for him, then it would be made available by the State government on land up to a maximum area of 15 sq. m. at the identified site.
The State government has also chalked out a plan for the employment of families and individuals living on rent in Joshimath town.
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The Cabinet has approved: “If a person in Joshimath, who has been working in the disaster affected area of Joshimath for more than one year by taking a shop on rent and due to the disaster both the land and the building of the shop/business establishment is unsafe, his employment has been affected. If so, such persons will be provided a one-time financial assistance of ₹2 lakh.”
Mr. Sinha added that, based on the survey conducted by technical institutes, a separate decision would be taken for assistance in retrofitting buildings situated on safe land, based on the intensity of damage. Compensation for agricultural and other land will also be decided based on reports from technical institutions.
Beneficiaries would have to show valid records of ownership of property, and when such documents are not available, an affidavit could be submitted along with bills for utilities such as water and electricity.
Final payments by way of relief would be made only after a ‘No Dues’ certificate had been secured from the concerned departments.
Relief assistance would be distributed based on surveys and measurements carried out by the sanctioned survey team, Mr. Sinha said, adding that prior to the provision of relief, the advance sum of ₹1 lakh or the grant of a home distributed previously to the affected family would be adjusted.