SINDRI: After years of delay,
Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA) has decided to prepare a new master plan to rehabilitate 1,04,946 families from areas affected by underground fire. Dhanbad deputy commissioner Uma Shankar Singh said the new plan will be approved in the next two months.
The decision for a new master plan was taken at a meeting chaired by North Chhotanagpur Commissioner cum JRDA chairman Kamal John Lakra on Saturday.
Singh said, “The new survey conducted by JRDA has identified 1,04,946 families for rehabilitation, of which 32,064 families have their own land and home, while 72,882 families are living by encroaching upon land owned by Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL). The BCCL management has also decided to transfer 8,000 company quarters to JRDA, which will be used to shift those who have their own land. Those who don’t own lands will be shifted to Belgaria Township. Land holding families will be rehabilitated on a priority basis and no new plan will be prepared until 50% to 60% of the identified families are shifted.”
Lakra directed the officials to complete the work of water supply system at Belgaria within 10 days. It can be mentioned here that the earlier master plan, approved in 2009 for 12 years, had decided to rehabilitate 54,154 identified families. JRDA so far has been able to shift only 4,500 families to Belgaria.