DALTONGANJ: The Latehar district administration and Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) began fresh efforts to relocate two villages — Latu and Kujrum — which fall in the critical core habitat of the reserve, to different places, officials said on Tuesday. Authorities have identified chunks of lands outside the reserve area and are currently trying to talk to the villagers through gram sabhas.
PTR’s deputy director of south division Mukesh Kumar said 90 households of Latu are to be resettled at Lie Paila Pathar near Sarju in Latehar. “The administration has identified 130 hectare land for their resettlement,” he said, adding in Kujrum, there are 120 households who are expected to be shifted in Polpol in the adjoining Palamu district. “Palamu administration has identified 160 hectare of land for Kujrum villagers’ resettlement,” he said.
Kumar said several rounds of sabhas have been held and there is consensus to relocate. “Many individual households too have given consent to move out,” he said.
On February 5, 40 people from the two villages participated in a district-level implementation committee meeting for relocation under the chairmanship of Latehar deputy commissioner Abu Imran where they consented to relocate. But sources said the issue of relocation gets stuck up when the household fear that their khata-khatiyan (land records) will be changed which may pose hurdles in the future.