Annuity to land oustees delayed in Haryana: CAG

Haryana government has delayed in releasing annuity amounting to Rs 238.17 crore to land oustees under its Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy, government auditor CAG has said.
In its latest performance audit report, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) found that the state-owned departments, including Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Haryana State Agriculture and Marketing Board (HSAMB) and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (HSIIDC), HPGCL, HVPNL and Irrigation Department, did not pay the balance amount of annuity Rs 238.17 crore to land oustees.
Oustee is a person who is ousted, especially one who is removed from his place of residence or land to make room for an infrastructure improvement or public works project.

These Departments acquired a total of 50,381 acres of land during 2005 till 2013.
"Out of the annuity of Rs 423.28 crore due for payment only, Rs 185.11 crore were paid upto 2012-13 and balance of Rs 238.17 crore were still payable to the oustees of land acquired by HSIIDC, HUDA, HSAMB, Power Sector and Irrigation," the report said.
As per 'Rehabilitation and Resettlement of land owners - Land Acquisition Oustees' (R and R policy), the annuity for a period of 33 years over and above the usual land compensation at the rate of Rs 15,000 per acre per annum (revised to Rs 21,000 per acre per annum from 7 September 2010) with an increase of fixed sum of Rs 500 every year (revised to Rs 750 from September 2010) was payable.

In case of land acquired for setting up of Special Economic Zone (SEZ) /Technology Cities/Parks, annuity was payable at the rate of Rs 30,000 per acre per annum (revised to Rs 42,000 per acre per annum from September 2010) with an increase of Rs 1,000 every year (revised to Rs 1,500 from September 2010).
Besides, the government auditor also found that 41,743 acres of land was acquired by HSIIDC, HUDA and HSAMB but the beneficiaries eligible for allotment of plots of different sizes under the policy were neither identified nor they were provided with plots, except in case of Urban Estate, Hansi, under Administrator, Hisar (HUDA) where 118 plots of different sizes were allotted (September 2011) to the oustees.

The HSIIDC in its reply stated in October 2013 that scrutiny of applications for the allotment of plots was under process whereas the HSAMB stated that planning was being made for rehabilitation of land owners and thereafter the beneficiaries will be short listed.