Resettlement & Rehabilitation Policy of
Andhra Pradesh.
Compulsory acquisition of Land for public purpose including infrastructure projects displaces people from their homes, land and / or their means of livelihood. Apart from depriving them of their land, livelihood and resources base, displacement has other psychological, social and cultural consequences as well. The Government recognize the need to minimize large-scale displacement to the extent possible and where displacement is inevitable, the need to address the issue of displacement with utmost care, human touch and forethought. Such an approach is especially necessary in respect of tribal, small and marginal farmers.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has put in place the State R&R policy, 2005 vide G.O.Ms.No.68, Irrigation & CAD (PW) Department dated 8.4.05 with the following objectives:
- To minimize displacement by identifying non displacing or
least displacing alternatives;
- To plan the resettlement and rehabilitation of Project Affected Families and Displaced Families including special needs of Tribals and vulnerable sections;
- To provide better standard of living to PAFs/PDFs and ;
- To facilitate harmonious relationship between the requiring
body and PAFs through mutual co-operation.
Although the policy is in place, effective implementation of R&R would require sensitivity, empathy, transparency and concern towards the needs of the affected people.
The Resettlement & Rehabilitation of the Projects has acquired monumental proportions during the recent years especially in view of large number of irrigation projects taken up as part of Jalayagnam.
After sanction of the Project, Government issues notification for the Project Affected Zone together with villages/ habitations as per Para 5.1 of the State R&R Policy based on the proposal submitted by the Chief Engineer/ District Collector.
Affected Zone.
The criteria for notification of the affected village is
- Area falling under FRL contour
- Dwelling house(s) falling within 100 mts of surface distance from FRL water line
“Project” means the projects notified under this policy and displacing.
- 100 or more families en mass in plain areas or
- 25 or more families en-mass in tribal areas or in areas mentioned in Schedule V of the Constitution of India from their lands and or houses.
Staffing pattern.
In order to ensure effective implementation of R&R for PAFs/ PDFs, the Government have created a Commissionerate for R&R for planning, implementation, monitoring and review of R&R activities for Irrigation Projects vide G.O.Rt.No.3368 GAD(Spl.A) Dept.Dt:3-06-2008.
The Commissionerate is equipped with the specialists from various fields viz
- Legal
- IT
- Livelihood
- Habitation and Town planning
- Anthropologists,
- Fisheries,
- Microfinance expert
Apart from the regular staff from different fields such as Finance, Statistics Co-operation etc. to assist the Commissioner.
State mission For Resettlement & Rehabilitation.
Further with a view to give flexibility and to function as a Resource centre for effective planning implementation and monitoring of R&R a Society namely “State Mission for Resettlement & Rehabilitation” Accordingly Bye-laws and Memorandum of Articles was framed and the Society has been registered. The Society will work under overall control of Commissioner (R&R). The (R&R Society) will work as an outside agency on a long term basis in order to streamline the flow of funds, to speed up the R&R activities with reasonable flexibility and thus help address R&R issues to the satisfaction of PAFs/ PDFs, while reducing the burden on the regular Government machinery.
Steps in Resettlement & Rehabilitation.
The process of Rehabilitation of PAFs & PDFs consists of sequence of activities which starts from the date of notification of affected villages by Government.
Resettlement & Rehabilitation includes different components of work & it is a long drawn process taken up in a phased manner duly prioritizing the villages under submergence with reference to the stage of project. The Project Administrators who are mostly
- Joint Collectors in plain area
- PO, ITDA’s in tribal areas
In consultation with Project Engineers, JC’s & PO’s will prioritize villages keeping in view the progress of Project and villages / areas likely to get submerged. due to impounding of water in the project reservoir. The focus is therefore on relocation of these prioritized villages and creation of facilities to ensure that they are relocated at the new settlement before water is impounded.
The process involves time schedules for conducting Socio Economic Survey for identification of the affected families to assess their occupation, land holding status, other assets belonging to them which are likely to be affected due to submergence. The Project Administrator will publish final details of survey duly inviting the objections if any, in the draft stage in the Official Gazette and also display in the Gram Panchayat concerned.
Draft Action Plan
Based on the results of Socio Economic Survey
- Project Administrator / R&R Officers will prepare the R&R
Scheme/ Plan which is to be approved by the District
Collector.
- The draft plan for R&R of Project affected families/project displaced families will be formulated in consultation with representatives of PAF’s/PDF’s & PRI’s.
The R&R plan includes details of
- Individual Benefits, Payments and infrastructure / basic amenities to be provided at the R&R site.
Simultaneously the R&R officer will have interaction with the Project Displaced Families to decide upon their preference for location of R&R centre, based on which the R&R officer will acquire land for R&R centre on available Government land or by way of purchase of land in case Government land is not available.
- Drinking water
- Internal roads
- Drainage
- Electricity
- Primary school Building
- Playground
- Community center and access road to the resettlement site.
Which are available in the affected village will be provided in new R&R centre. The infrastructure facilities at the R&R site are entrusted to Line Departments in the Districts like.
- Panchayat Raj Engineering Department,
- R&B,
- RWS,
- Social Welfare Department etc.
The Endeavour of the Government is to provide the PDFs with better amenities at resettlement site so that they could have better quality of life.
The Project Administrator after finalization of the plans will submit to the District Administration for administrative sanction the various components of R&R as prescribed in G.O.Ms.No.68, I & CAD Dept.,dt:8-4-2005 and as amended from time to time to each of the PAF/ PDF family in the affected zone. The R&R plan will be an integral part of the cost of the project. The Project Administrator will monitor and supervise overall works with necessary budget releases.
The Government vide G.O.Ms.No.247 I&CD (LA-IV-R&R.1) Dept. Dt. 20-11-07 has issued instructions to use the Web based e-tool for generation of R&R Plan in order to maintain transparency in implementation of R&R.
World Bank has come forward to extend Non-lending Technical Assistance for improving the operations of R&R activities and the Government have issued orders Vide G.O.Ms.No.181 I&CAD (PW.LA.IV) Dept Dt.8-09-08 to utilize the same for strengthening and transforming Institutions for Management of R&R.
Transparency & Monitoring
In order to implement the R&R activities in a transparent manner the fallowing activities are taking up
- State level monitoring committee
The GOAP, Department of Revenue, Shall constitute a State Level Monitoring Committee, to e chaired by the Principle Secretary/Secretary, Department of Revenue for reviewing and monitoring the progress of implementation of resettlement and rehabilitation scheme/plan relating to all projects to which this Policy applies. The committee shall meet at least once in three months to review and monitor the implementation of R&R plan in all projects.
- Project level monitoring committee
In respect of every project to which this Policy applies, the State Government shall constitute a Committee under the Chairmanship of the Administrator of that Project to be called the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Committee to monitor and review the progress of implementation of scheme/plan of resettlement and rehabilitation of the Project Affected Families.
- e-tool software.
- Field visits by officers to project areas to facilitate the implementing officers.
