HP govt may approach SC for seeking justice for Pong dam

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra singh today said that the state government has taken a serious view of "reluctance" of Rajasthan Government to comply with Supreme court directions regarding giving possession of irrigable land to Pong dam oustees and put them back on the originally allotted land.
The Rajasthan government was not serious to solve the vexed issue and has shown its inability to re-locate the land to the pongdam oustees and remove the encroachers, chief minister said while presiding over the meeting of the State Level Pong Dam Rehabilitation and Advisory Committee.
He said that the Apex court had said that, "it will be the obligation of the Rajasthan government to make available to the pong dam oustees an equivalent extent of irrigable land and the original oustees or allottee shall be put back in possession of the land allotted to him but Rajasthan government has not complied with the directions and in case it did not change its lackadaisical approach, the State Government would approach the Supreme Court to get justice to the Pong dam oustees.

The Chief Minister suggested that even if the original allottee was not available as on today, his legal heir/heirs would be eligible for compensation or appealing for allotment of plot of land in Rajasthan.
He said that it was rather disappointing that the Rajasthan Government which was required to give 15.625 acres of land to the Pong Dam oustees but the matter was hanging fire for last many years.
He said that the Himachal Pradesh was exploring the last possibility by arranging a meeting with the Chairman of the high Power committee constituted for the purpose and the Rajasthan government regarding re-rehabilitation of the oustees.

He said that an enquiry should be ordered into the fact that 1188 Murrabas of land which was handed over to the oustees and later given to the people of Rajasthan.

It should also be enquired that under which and whose discretion/ direction, the 1188 plots were given back to the Rajasthan people, the CM said.
The plea of the oustees to get the irrigated land reserved for them in Ganganagar and Anupgarh districts was not being heard and the Rajasthan government was offering them unfertile land without basic facilities like roads, drinking water, education etc., at Mohangarh, Ramgarh and Nachna in Bikaner district and had failed to remove the encroachers, he said.

"Despite the issues being raked up forcefully in these meetings, it seems that the state government has no option but to knock the doors of the Supreme Court again" Chief Minister said.
A visit to Rajasthan in the month of January by the Revenue Minister and the senior officers will be a last attempt in this direction and if still the oustees don't get Justice, the Himachal Government will file contempt with the apex court, the CM added.
Health and Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said that approaching the Rajasthan government with the file and record was last resort and if the oustees did not get justice "we are surely going to approach Supreme Court".