Bhakra evictees to get plots in Bilaspur in next two years: CM

The Bhakra Dam evictees who were yet to be rehabilitated would be given plots for construction of houses in Bilaspur town in next two years, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today.
Distributing plot allotment certificates to them, he said the Cabinet had recently decided to regularise encroachments up to 150 sq meters by Bhakra evictees on a token amount of Re one per sq meter.
However, those who have encroached more land would be taken back and re-allotted to other claimants.
The Chief Minister said he had performed 'Bhoomi Poojan' for houses of the affected families near HRTC workshop, Bilaspur during his previous tenure but the previous BJP government did not take further initiative in this direction.

Instead, five plots were allotted to Saraswati Vidya Mandir in all five sectors of Bilaspur whereas the people were still awaiting to be rehabilitated for over five decades.
He said only one plot on market rate would be given to Sarawati Vidya Mandir and other four would be taken back.

The Chief Minister said 363 families evicted for the dam have been identified for allotment of land in Bilaspur town out of which 118 plots have been allotted in Nihal sector.
He said a large number of families were uprooted due to construction of large reservoir projects like Bhakra Dam and Pong Dam and his government had taken decision to allow only run of the river hydropwer projects in the state in future to minimise evacuation of people.

Singh said that plots would also be allotted to the members of Valmiki community living in the Bilaspur for centuries and the government would construct houses for them.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated 'Sanskriti Bhawan Avam Kala Kendra' housing art gallery and District Language officer Bilaspur constructed at a cost of Rs 154.38 lakh.
State Planning and 20-Point Programme Committee chairman Ram Lal Thakur said the Chief Minister has waived off home loans taken by the affected families.