The Uttarakhand cabinet on Wednesday approved a policy for compensation and permanent rehabilitation for affected residents in crisis-hit Joshimath during a meeting chaired by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
More than 860 houses have been damaged and as many as 878 people have been shifted to temporary relief camps, ever since residential buildings and other structures began developing cracks since the first week of January due to land subsidence.
The administration is currently demolishing two precariously standing hotels. It has already brought down three residential properties and a building of the public works department so far.
“In today’s cabinet meeting, our government approved a compensation and rehabilitation policy for the affected people in Joshimath. Overall, we took 52 decisions for the upliftment of all sections of the society in various sectors, including education, health, infrastructure, industry and self-employment,” Dhami said in a statement.
The rehabilitation policy cleared by the government offers three options.
According to the statement released by the government, the rate of compensation for land will be decided on the basis of survey reports received from technical institutes like Central Building Research Institute and IIT Roorkee.
It also decided that the cost of any damaged residential building would be determined by applying the cost index to the plinth area rates decided by the central public works department. Subsequently, after deducting the amount of depreciation of the affected building from the cost of the upcoming building, compensation will be given for the remaining amount.
According to the first option, the affected families will be compensated for the damages their houses suffered at prescribed rates (as per the calculation above) and compensation for land will be provided on the basis of reports of the technical institutes.
Under the second option, a maximum area of land of up to 75 square meters (50 meters for constructing the building and 25 meters for cowsheds/other works) will be provided to the affected families for constructing residential buildings.
Under the third option, the disaster-affected people can demand a residential building constructed relative to their land and building. Buildings will be constructed by the state government on land up to the maximum area of 50 square meters and 25 meters of land will be made available for cow sheds/other works.
The government also decided to offer a similar strategy – offering three options – to help owners of businesses and commercial establishments affected in the holy town.
Under the first option, commercial establishments will be provided compensation for the damages at a prescribed rate, which is yet to be decided, and compensation for land will be decided in a manner mentioned above.
Under the second option, after receiving compensation for the damages, business owners can seek land for new constructions. Under this, land up to a maximum area of 15 square meters will be provided to them.
Under the third option, the state government will build the shops and business establishments, as per the will of the owners, on land up to a maximum area of 15 square meters at an identified site.
Atul Sati, convenor of Joshimath Sangharsh Samiti, said the policy is only for families whose houses have developed cracks. “The policy doesn’t talk about all the residents in Joshimath, who need to be rehabilitated, whether their houses have developed cracks or not. Also, the rates have not been announced as the government is still waiting for reports of the technical institutions,” he said.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) president Ajendra Ajay welcomed the policy.
“For the first time in the state, a relief and rehabilitation package has been prepared on the basis of the suggestions of the affected people and local public representatives. The state government and chief minister have shown full sensitivity towards the affected families,” he said.
