By: Vikas Sharma
Shimla: There’s some good news for farmers who bore the brunt of development by losing land to the government, as the Union government has proposed to come up with a law to ‘rehabilitate before displacement’, according to Union Rural Development Minister, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.
Singh was speaking to the press, here today, after presiding over the meeting of consultative committee of Union Ministry of Rural Development.
“Forcefully taking of lands of farmers on the name of development would not be entertained by the government,” Singh said, adding, “rather provisions would be made to adopt voluntary displacement for people once they are rehabilitated.”
Singh has said that the union government’s Bharat Nirman project includes six components and involves total investment plan of Rs 1,74,000 crore, of which, Rs 85,000 crore were being utilised by Rural Development Ministry.
He said that rural roads, rural housing and rural drinking water supply were being strengthened in the State under Bharat Nirman.
He further said that employment was provided on 8,726 works, of which, 4,722 works had been completed, whereas work on 4,004 is in progress.
He said that under Bharat Nirman during 2006-07, against a target of 795.83 km road length, 797.87 km. length had already been completed.
Against the target of 209 habitations, 145 had been connected by roads in Himachal Pradesh, he added.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Sat Mahajan, urged the Union Minister for providing additional funds so that development could be geared up in the rural areas and laptops provided to field officials in the state.
